Lavender Sablé Cookies

Floral, zesty, buttery. These Lavender Sablé Cookies are the perfect little Summer treat. They are very popular in Provence, in the South of France, a region known for its abundance of lavender fields and lavender-forward cooking repertoire.

But first, if you’re unaware, Sablés are the king of French cookies. Their name refers to their sandy (sablé) texture, which is achieved by a fair amount of butter. I like to think of them as the French’s answer to shortbread, only a bit thinner and richer in taste. They come in so many various shapes and flavors: the Salted Butter Sablé Cookies being very popular in Brittany, and these Lavender Sablé Cookies being popular in the South.

Like a French sablé should be, these cookies are crisp and big in butter flavor, but the lavender and lemon brings the perfect dose of brightness to it.

They are quick and easy to make, and delightful for an afternoon Summer snack (delicious with iced-tea) or to wrap up an alfresco lunch. And if you’re visiting friends or attending dinner parties this Summer, they’ll make for a great gift for your hosts.

Now, before we dive into the recipe, if you are new to baking with lavender I suggest you read these few tips below first. Lavender is a great ingredient to work with, but like most big-on-flavor herbs or spices, it can make or break a recipe if not used properly.

Fresh or dried lavender?

They both work, but adjust your recipe accordingly.

You can use either fresh or dried lavender. I recently made a trip to the lavender fields near our home and picked a lot of fresh culinary lavender, so I am using a lot of it these days. But when lavender isn’t in season, I am happy to rely on dried lavender: you can find it in spice stores, tea shops or bulk stores (ie. Bulk Barn, in Canada). Either way (using fresh or dried), make sure you remove the stems and only keep the buds. In baking, these buds aren’t really pleasing in texture, so I like to grind them (with a pinch of sugar it works great) so they blend better in a dough and are more pleasing on the tongue.

Dried lavender is more concentrated in flavor than fresh lavender, so you’ll want to adjust your recipe accordingly: 1 part dried lavender = 3 parts fresh lavender.

You can make this Lavender Sablé Cookies recipe with both fresh or dried lavender – just adapt the proportions.

Know how to pair lavender

Lavender has a very assertive flavor, which can, if not used properly, make your food taste like soap… something you definitely do not want. So it is important to know how to pair lavender with other ingredients to mellow down its floral tang. In baking, adding citrus zest works great to add brightness. Having a rich, high-fat component (ie. butter or cream) is also good to round up the flavors. In cooking, mixing lavender with other fragrant dried Herbs (ie. Herbes de Provence) makes a great rub for grilled meats or fish.

A little goes a long way…

Lavender is big on flavor and can be overwhelming in taste if you use just a pinch too much. Be very cautious and use it in moderation.

Cooking notes :

• Do not over-knead the dough or the sablés will be tough.
• Chilling the dough just before baking will keeps the sablés from spreading during baking, so I highly recommend it.
• Keep on eye on the oven while you bake the sablés, as they have to remain quite pale in color (much paler than the Breton sablés, for instance) and can turn too golden very quickly. If too baked and golden, they will be tough and not very enjoyable to eat.

Lavender Sablé Cookies

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 13-14 Minutes 13-14 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 14 voted )

Ingredients

1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. fresh culinary lavender OR ½ tsp dried culinary lavender
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup (125g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cup (188g) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes above before you start.

Step 1 – Make the dough. In a mortar and pestle, grind together the lavender (fresh or dried) with a pinch of sugar - you can reach for a coarse grind with lavender buds still visible or a finer grind. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rest of the sugar with the lavender and lemon zest and rub with your fingers so the zest releases moisture and the sugar is moist and lumpy.

Add the butter and cream together until soft and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until fully combined. Add the flour and salt, and mix until the dough comes together into a smooth ball (do not over-knead). Cover with plastic film and chill for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C) and prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Step 2 – Shape and cut the sablés. Transfer the dough from the fridge onto a floured working surface. Roll it out to a 4mm (0.16-inch). thickness. Using a 2.5-inch (6.25 cm) cookie cutter (ideally, scalloped), cut out 20-24 cookie circles. Transfer the sablés onto the baking sheets and chill for 15-20 minutes; this will help so the sablés don’t spread while baking.

Step 3 – Bake. Take the baking sheets of sablés out of the fridge and bake for 13-14 minutes, until the rims are just slightly golden. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack and let cool completely to room temperature.

Keep in an airtight container for 5 days.

If you try this Lavender Sablé Cookies recipe let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram tagging @pardonyourfrench or using #pardonyourfrench. I’d love to see what you come up with.

You may also like: 

• Breton Salted Butter Sablés
• Raspberry Jam filled Sablés Sandwiches
• Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Sablés