These buttery shortbread cookies have no eggs and no baking powder…They are called Sablés meaning “sand” because when the dough is mixed it resembles the sand found on the Normandy beaches.  Caen is the capital of Normandy.  Similar cookies are found in the American cookie repertoire and are called “sandies”.

Ingredients: 

1. ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2. 6 tablespoons sugar
3. 1/8 teaspoon salt
4. ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
5. 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 

Directions: 

1. Place butter in a bowl and beat until creamy.
2. Add sugar, salt, vanilla, and continue to beat until well incorporated.
3. Add the flour and incorporate using fingers if necessary.
4. Gather dough into a bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hr. 

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper

1. Place the dough between wax paper and roll dough to ¼” thick.
2. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out cookie and place on parchment lined baking sheets.
3. Bake until edges are golden.
4. Remove to a cooling rack.

Yields: 2 dozen cookies