Christmas Cookies - Vanilla Biscuits - Sablés de Noël - Easy Recipe
- felichiccuisine
- Nov 21
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Christmas Cookies - Vanilla Biscuits - Sablés de Noël: perfectly blend simplicity and elegance in baking. Their delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture and subtle flavors of butter, vanilla, and citrus capture the magic of the holiday season. These biscuits are easy to make, yet they carry an elegance that makes them feel sophisticated enough for a holiday table or charming as a homemade gift.
With simple ingredients and a little patience for chilling and rolling, you can create cookies that are both tender and beautifully shaped, ready to decorate with royal icing, chocolate, or sprinkles.
In my opinion, these cookies are not just a delicious treat but also a symbol of generosity and the Christmas spirit. They are perfect for enjoying with a cup of tea or coffee and make wonderful gifts when beautifully wrapped.
What are Sable Cookies?
Sablé cookies are a classic French treat, known for their rich buttery flavor and crumbly texture. The name "sablé" comes from the French word for "sand," which perfectly describes the cookies' delicate, sandy consistency.
Often referred to as Breton cookies, these cookies are a staple in French baking and are loved for their simplicity and melt-in-your-mouth quality.
While traditional Sablé cookies have a basic buttery flavor, you can easily customize them by adding zest of lemon or orange, or even almond flavor. Personally, I love adding orange zest for an extra burst of citrus, which enhances their delightful taste.
Why These Biscuits Are Special
What makes these Sablés de Noël stand out is their perfect balance of taste, texture, and festive charm. The cookies are buttery and tender, with a delicate crumb that melts in your mouth, offering a comforting, rich flavor without being overly sweet. A hint of vanilla and orange zest adds subtle aromatic notes, giving them a refined, seasonal character that elevates them beyond everyday cookies.
These biscuits are also versatile and approachable. They hold their shape beautifully, making them ideal for decorating with royal icing, sprinkles, or chocolate, yet the dough is soft enough to work with easily; perfect for family baking projects.
Each cookie becomes a small, handcrafted treat, whether you’re gifting them, displaying them on a festive platter, or enjoying them alongside a warm cup of tea.
In short, these biscuits are special because they combine elegant flavor, tender texture, and the joy of creating something by hand—a perfect reflection of the holiday spirit.
Are they easy to make?
Yes, Sablé cookies are very easy to make, even for beginners in the kitchen. The key to success is using high-quality ingredients (especially the butter) and following the correct baking temperatures and times.
How to make French Sable Cookies
✔ Using an electric mixer, or a wooden spoon, as in my case, cream the butter with powdered sugar and salt.
✔ Add the beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
✔ Fold in sifted flour gently until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing.
✔ Shape the dough into a flat, oval disc
✔ Divide the dough and wrap in baking paper.
✔ Refrigerate for at least 1 h. To relax the gluten, firm up the butter, and help the cookies keep their shape and achieve a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
✔ Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough to 6 mm / ¼ inch thickness.
✔ Use cookie cutters to create festive shapes. If the dough softens while rolling, chill for 10–15 minutes before cutting the next batch.
✔ Place the cookies on prepared sheets, leaving a small space between each.
✔ Bake 10–12 minutes or until the edges are just lightly golden.
✔ Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Time to Decorate Sablés de Noël
With the cookies perfectly baked and cooled, the next step is the fun part: decorating! Let’s prepare a batch of royal icing and explore techniques to turn your Sablés de Noël into little works of art. Here’s the recipe and step-by-step guide to decorating your festive Sablés de Noël.
Important Tips for Making Perfectly Buttery Sablé Cookies
✔ Use Room-Temperature Butter: Softened butter ensures a smooth, creamy dough that’s easy to mix and roll. Avoid melted butter, which can make cookies spread too much.
✔ Chill the Dough: Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before rolling. Chilling firms the dough, prevents spreading, and helps maintain crisp edges and clean shapes.
✔ Roll Evenly: Aim for a uniform thickness of about 6 mm (¼ inch). Even dough ensures cookies bake consistently and hold their shape.
✔ Dust Lightly with Flour: Use just enough flour to prevent sticking. Too much flour can make the cookies dry or tough.
For another festive treat, you may want to try:
✔ Handle Gently: Avoid overmixing or kneading the dough too much. Overworking develops gluten, which can make the cookies dense rather than tender.
✔ Bake at the Right Temperature: Preheat the oven properly (180°C / 350°F). Watch the cookies closely—edges should be lightly golden, but the centers remain pale for a tender texture.
✔ Cool Completely: Allow cookies to cool on a wire rack before decorating or storing. This prevents icing from sliding and keeps cookies from softening too much.
✔ Decorate with Care: If using royal icing, start with outlines and let the base layer dry completely before adding details. This helps maintain clean, elegant designs.
✔ Storage Matters: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. For long-term storage, freeze unbaked dough or fully baked cookies.
Experiment with Flavors: Subtle additions like a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or extra citrus zest can elevate the cookies and make them uniquely festive.
An essential step is chilling the dough for at least one hour. This allows the gluten to relax and makes the dough easier to shape. If the dough becomes crumbly or hard to roll out, wrap it again and chill for another 30 minutes.
Expected Texture
These Christmas Vanilla Biscuits – Sablés de Noël have a delicate, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture. When baked, the edges are lightly crisp while the center stays tender and soft. The crumb is fine and slightly sandy, characteristic of classic French sablés, yet firm enough to hold detailed cut-out shapes for decorating.
Overall, they strike the perfect balance between crumbly elegance and subtle chew, making each bite both satisfying and refined.
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!
Recipe
Enjoy!
Have you tried making this Christmas Cookies - Vanilla Biscuits? I'd love to hear about your experience! Share your thoughts and any creative twists you added to the recipe in the comments below. Or, tag me on Instagram (@FeliChic'Cuisine) when you post your recipe creations. Let's inspire each other. Thank You!
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