Rich and deliciously buttery, diamond cookies (sablés diamant) are French shortbread cookies that are coated in granulated sugar for sweetness, crunch and sparkle!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredibly easy: Made with just a few basic ingredients which you probably already have, this recipe takes very little time to prepare and doesn’t require a mixer.
- No chilling: Unless your kitchen is very warm, you can roll the dough into a log and slice it as soon as it’s ready!
- Long lasting: These cookies will last quite some time in an airtight container at room temperature. You’ll be able to enjoy them with a nice cup of coffee or tea for several days!
Ingredients
- Flour: To give structure to the cookies. I’m using all-purpose flour for convenience. You could use cake flour which has a lower protein content if you’d like your cookies to be even more tender.
- Butter: The butter will give these cookies their wonderful buttery flavor and crumbly texture. For optimal flavor and texture, use high quality butter. It’s best to use European style butter which has a higher fat content (at least 82%) and less water than American brands.
- Powdered sugar: For sweetness and tenderness. I like to use powdered sugar which combines more easily with the butter. Less mixing means less air is incorporated so the cookies won’t really spread in the oven. You could replace it with granulated sugar if you prefer. The cookies will be crunchier and spread a little during baking. There isn’t a large amount of sugar in the dough since we’ll be coating the cookies in sugar as well.
- Salt: The salt really takes these cookies to the next level. I find it best to use unsalted butter then add salt so I can add as much as I like.
- Flavorings: Just a little bit of vanilla, for flavor. Feel free to leave it out if you just want the butter flavor to shine. You could also add lemon zest if you want a citrus twist.
- Granulated sugar: To roll the cookies in, for extra sweetness and crunch. You can use whatever sugar you like, as long as the sugar crystals are large enough so they don’t melt quickly in the oven. I’ve tried it with brown and white granulated sugar. You could also use colorful sugar crystals if available for a festive feel.
Some recipes also include egg yolks. We preferred cookies without egg but I thought I’d mention that egg yolks will yield softer cookies. So if that’s what you prefer, then you can try adding an egg yolk to the recipe. Just note that the dough will become softer and you might need to chill it first.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preparing the dough
- We’ll first start by making sure the butter is soft enough. Just press it against the sides of a large bowl with a spatula. If it easily yields and looks creamy, you’re good to go. Otherwise, let it warm up a bit longer at room temperature or briefly heat it in the microwave for a few seconds until softened (not melted).
- You can then add the powdered sugar and salt and mix until smooth before adding in the vanilla extract.
- Next up, the flour. Pour it over the butter mixture in one or two additions (whatever is easier for you). Mix until just combined. Don’t worry if the dough looks really dry initially. It will get smoother!
Shaping and baking
- Use your hands for the final touch and briefly knead the dough until it can be gathered into one smooth ball.
- Then transfer to a clean work surface and roll into a nice log.
- Lightly brush with water before rolling in sugar.
Tip: It’s best to brush the log with water to ensure more sugar sticks to the dough. If you want an even crunchier, sweeter crust, you can brush the dough with egg white.
- Then slice the log into equal portions so they bake evenly.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until just starting to brown. If you prefer tender cookies, bake them until barely golden. For a crunchier cookie, bake a bit longer.
Enjoy!
More Easy French Recipes
- Chocolate financiers
- Almond financiers with chocolate ganache
- Chouquettes (Choux pastry with pearl sugar)
- Chocolate torsades
LOVE THIS RECIPE? I’d be so grateful if you could leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below!
Diamond Cookies
Rich and deliciously buttery, diamond cookies are French shortbread cookies that are coated in granulated sugar for sweetness, crunch and sparkle!
Course: DessertCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy
Yield
18
cookiesPrep time
15
minutesCook time
13
minutesIngredients
90 g unsalted butter, diced and softened at room temperature (3.2 oz., 1/3 cup and 1 Tablespoon)
40 g powdered (icing) sugar (1.4 oz., 1/3 cup), ideally sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
130 g all-purpose flour (4.6 oz., 1 cup)
- For rolling
50 g coarse or granulated sugar (1.8 oz., 1/4 cup), or as needed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F, conventional setting). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the diced butter in a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon (or a sturdy spatula), press the butter against the sides of the bowl to make sure it’s soft enough. If it isn’t, let it warm up a bit longer at room temperature. Alternatively, briefly heat it in the microwave for a few seconds until softened, not melted.
- Add the powdered sugar and salt and mix until smooth. Then mix in the vanilla extract (if using) until incorporated.
- Add the flour and mix just until combined. Don’t overmix. Tip: The dough will initially look very dry but will eventually come together. You can finish by briefly kneading by hand to get a cohesive mass.
- Transfer the dough to a clean work surface (or a piece of parchment paper) and roll into a tight log, about 23 cm (9 inch) long and 3 cm (1 and 1/4 inch) in diameter. Press against the ends of the log (with a dough scraper or your hands) to get a smooth surface. Optional: If the dough feels soft, wrap the log well in cling film (or parchment paper) and chill for about 30 minutes.
- Pour the granulated sugar in a large container (or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper). Lightly brush the log with water then roll in granulated sugar. Tip: You can divide the log in two before rolling in sugar if you prefer.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log evenly into 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick slices.
- Place on prepared baking sheet in staggered rows, spacing the cookies about 2.5 cm/1 inch apart (they won’t spread much). Tip: Reshape the cookies into circles with your hands if needed.
- Bake in the middle of the oven until the edges are just starting to brown, 13-15 minutes. Tip: The longer you bake them, the crunchier they will be.
- Remove from the oven and cool down briefly on the baking sheet (about 5 minutes). Then transfer to a wire rack to cool down completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make-ahead tips: Baked diamond cookies will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
- Butter: It’s best to use European style butter which has a higher fat content (at least 82%) and less water than American brands.
- Salt: If you like cookies with a salty kick, you can use 1/3 teaspoon of salt instead of 1/4.
- Brushing the log (step 6): If you want an even crunchier, sweeter crust, you can brush the dough with egg white.
- Lemon diamond cookies: Add the zest of one small lemon to the creamed butter for a citrus twist.
- Shaping and slicing the dough: The dough should be easy to shape into a log and slice without chilling. But if your kitchen is very warm and the dough is too soft to work with, you can briefly chill it until firm enough. Wrap well in plastic wrap or parchment paper if it’s not coated in sugar yet.
- Adapted from a recipe found in the book “Professional Baking” (Gisslen).