Sables Cookie Recipe By Chefs Dorie And Josh Greenspan

Ingredients

• Cookies
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Topping
• 1 large egg yolk
• Sanding sugar
•  

Directions

1. In a stand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and very creamy. Add the granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar and salt and continue to beat until well blended, about 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth and velvety. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each yolk goes in. Add the flour in three or four additions, mixing only until the flour disappears into the dough. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gently knead the dough until it is homogenous. Divide the dough in half.
2. To make slice-and-bake cookies: Shape each piece of dough into a smooth log about 9 inches long (it's easiest to work on a piece of wax paper and to use the paper to help form the log). Wrap the logs well and chill them for at least 3 hours, preferably longer - the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
3. To make rolled-out cookies: Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape the dough into a disk, place it between two pieces of wax paper and roll it to ¼ inch thick. Repeat with the second piece. Keep the dough between the wax paper and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°.
5. To bake the slice-and-bake cookies: Remove a log of dough from the refrigerator and place it on a piece of parchment or wax paper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk until it is smooth and use a pastry brush to brush some of the yolk all over with the sides of the dough. Sprinkle the entire surface of the log with sugar. Trim the ends of the roll and slice the log into ⅓-inch thick cookies. Place the rounds on the baking sheet, leaving an inch between each cookie, and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet at the halfway point, until the cookies light brown on the bottom, lightly golden around the edges and pale on top. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and side aside for a minute or two before using a wide metal spatula to carefully lift the cookies onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining log of dough. Serve cookies at room temperature.
6. To bake the roll-out cookies: Cut the cookies into whatever shape you like and sprinkle the cookies with decorating sugar. Place on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom and around the edges, about 10 minutes for smaller cookies and up to 20 minutes for larger cookies. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and side aside for a minute or two before using a wide metal spatula to carefully lift the cookies onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining log of dough. Serve cookies at room temperature.