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Thursday, June 2, 2011

Expanding on Pierre Hermes' Sable Vennois Recipe - Sugared Danish Butter Cookies

DBC 2-1

DBC5

DBC 6

As much as I admire gourmet flavours and sophisticated recipes, I know I am not a good cook. I have neither the skills, the experience nor the deftness to create intricate and sophisticated dishes. Unlike full time housewives tasked with enormous responsibilities and with loads of practical experience stashed under their belts, I am at best, only pretending to cook in my kitchen. However, I would also admit that I like my food to make me look like a good cook... hence my quest and my penchant for 'simple gourmet recipes' that taste great and pack a punch of  wow...

If you are rolling your eyes now at the sight of yet another sable vennois post, sorry dear... this is my blog, I cook and I post what I like. I had liked how the sables tasted and I had felt gratified by the way these had resonated with many. Until recently, I had never thought that having someone read my post and attempt my shared recipe with raving success could be so rewarding and satisfying. I now realise I had underestimated the power of sharing. To all those who had recently tried the recipes in the last few posts, thank you for sharing your satisfaction with me - they had really made my day...

There is something magical about this recipe and I am determined to create the full collection in the very popular blue tin. This is an easily identifiable shape... I don't remember seeing cookies that come in this 'pretzel' shape except for those in the Danish Butter Cookie Tin. I bought the cookie cutter years ago and have never used it. Now that I have found the right recipe for it, I just can't wait.

DBC 3-1

DBC7
In the previous posts, the cookie dough was piped from a piping bag. For ths creation, I have chosen to roll out the soft dough into a sheet, chill it to firm before cutting with the cookie cutter. Straight forward approach that does not require a nobel prize winning scientist to figure out but sometimes, we are too fixated with a recipe and just need a little nudge to move things out of the box.... in my case, the nudge came in the form of this twisted cookie cutter :) .

There is another advantage in shaping the dough this way - the thicker slice actually made the cookie less delicate to store and transport. Many would remember the pretzel shaped variety in the blue tin came crusted with grainy sugar. My sugar is not coarse enough to create the same effect but the slight crunch from the grains nevertheless added good texture to the cookie. To be honest, out of the 4-5 varieties normally encased in the blue tin, the sugar crusted versions were my least favourite. The ones that would run out first would always be the plain round wreaths (like what I made the last time), followed by the coconut raisin cookie...  So stay tuned - if I succeed in my experiment with the coconut raisin butter cookie, I would technically have the full range from the Blue Cookie Tin... :)  So - which is your favourite variety from the blue tin?

DBC (250)

Recipe :
95g               Unsalted Butter
1g                 Fleur de Sel
1/8 tsp          Vanilla paste (the recipe originally asked for 2-3 pinches of Vanilla powder)
40g               Powdered Sugar
15g               Egg White
115g             All purpose flour
Method :
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk unsalte butter with Fleur de Sel until creamy.
3. Add in powdered sugar and whisk until homogenous and creamy.
4. Add in egg white. ( The mixture may curdle a little but it will smoothen out after flour is added.
5. Add in flour and mix until well combined.
6. Roll the dough in between 2 sheets of plastic to 0.3cm thick. Chill in the fridge for 30mins or more. Cut the dough into desired shapes using a cookie cutter. Sprinkle with coarse grain sugar.
7. Bake at 180C for 10 -12 mins or until golden brown.
8. Cool down and store in air tight container.

37 comments:

pickyin @ LifeIsGreat said...

Mine are the raisins one followed by the wreaths. Love the photos for this one!

Pei-Lin said...

Oh, Shirley! The shape of these ones does bring back memories!

Yes, it's your blog, and you can do what you like on here unquestionably. Sharing is good, a virtue! Of course, what I'd learned over the years is that I have to share a particular item with the right audience. No way you're gonna talk about these cookies and the recipe with someone not interested in baking and eating, right? Or anyone who doesn't have a sweet tooth?

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Love your photo, plate, tin and cookie, perfect !!

Indonesia Eats said...

I recalled eating these cookies when I was a kid :)

Edith said...

Actually come to think about it, gosh, I can only vaguely recall a pretzel, a round plain ones, a round plain sugar coated and next??? Would love to see your full collection to rekindle my childhood.

BTW, you deserved to be proud of that wonderful bun recipe. It is just sooooo good.

Zurin said...

I loved that Danish blue tin too. I reminisced about it in my pretzel post too and like you I too mentioned the brown pretzel shape cookies with sugar was always the last...glad to know I was not alone.

the cookies looks really wonderful Shirley. I'm definitely going to try the chocolate cookies you made a couple posts back.

ICook4Fun said...

Love the shape of these cookies. I always wanted to buy this cookie cutter but have yet to do so. Looking forward to the posting of the coconut and raisin one as that is my favorite.

shaz@feedingmykidsbetter said...

Great looking cookies! You're right that it's your blog and you don't have to explain to anyone why or what I post. You have a fantastic looking blog by the way :)
I added u to my blogroll. Hope u dun mind.

Small Small Baker said...

Pretzel is my favourite in the blue tin! I'm so excited that you are going to create all the cookies. Looking forward! :)

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Shaz,not at all. Thank you for subscribing to my blog.

Min said...

I'm loving this! I always like the blue tin and the first one I chose will be this one too. Can't wait to try this, thanks for sharing ya!

Jean said...

im not getting tired of your sable posts...cos i love looking at them. looks so inviting!

Cosy Bake said...

This is so beautiful cookie. I always love butter cookies and the blue tin is the one to go for. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.

I just came back from Paris and visited pier Hermes patisserie. There were sooo many pretty cakes and macaroons to choose. Wish I could taste them all. :)

The Sweetylicious said...

this look exactly like the ones in the blue tin! i love those cookies and my favourites are those plain round wreaths :D thank you for sharing all this wonderful recipe! (:

Joyti said...

Simple recipes are so often the best. They're the ones we repeat the most often, I think.
These look beautifully golden and delicious.

Unknown said...

Beautifully done, and super impressive. I don't think you could get better at any fine bakery.
*kisses* HH

Anh said...

very nice! I love a good cookie recipe, and I think I have found two thanks to u.

The prop in this post is so pretty as well. Love the floral theme.

daphne said...

oh it's PERFECT! I love your english tea setting too..and that plate- even the cookie tin.

Best of all, I can see myself bitting into one anyday-despite the calories.

It would be hard for me to choose a cookie- because i love it all! but i like cranberry oats best.

茄子 said...

这个造型很有小时候的回忆,看来我也要去找这个CUTTER了,就不知道新山有没有卖,好像还没看过呢!

Sneh | Cook Republic said...

I haven't had sugar cookies in a while. But from what I remember, the ones I loved were the ones that looked pretzel like with coarse sugar bits stuck to them.

Your cookies look so professional, perfect and buttery! The tin adds the final touch too :-)

Swee San @ TheSweetSpot said...

Haven't seen this pretzel cookie cutter and it's cute! I have always loved cookies from the blue tin. love the cookie tin!

Quay Po Cooks said...

Shirley, ya man, this is your post, you sure can post what you like, I like that:D I have never seen cookies shaped like pretzels before. Those are special and look so perfect. You said, "I know I am not a good cook." Are you kidding me?? and "If you are rolling your eyes now at the sight..." Oh yes, I am rolling my eyes because the "WOW" factor here. Before I leave, just want to let you know, I adapted one of your recipe - fish head beehoon and thank you for the inspiration. I have posted it today. The photo is not look as nice as yours but I am very happy with the taste and ultra happy that I can make this as and when I like instead of having to constantly hunt for a good store that sells them.

maameemoomoo - a ½ food blog said...

So prettyyyyyyyyyyy! I MUST GIVE THIS A TRY!!

You know what to do if u have problems gobbling them up ya? ;)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Oh gosh, this does brings back loads of memories! Love those big crystals of sugar on top that gives it the distinct crunch and texture. ;) Lovely photos, cookies and plates! ;)

Anonymous said...

Waaa this cookie really brings back memories. :)

Did you buy your cookie cutter online?

:) christine

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Hi Christine, no I didn't buy the cutter on line but I forgot Where I got it from... Hong kong, US or Bangkok... One of the places...

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

Ahhh you are bringing me back to my childhood! I LOVED these growing up and would pick this one out of the assorted cookies in the tin. Gotta try this at home sometime.

Anonymous said...

Hi Shirley,

thanks. Your sables really look yummy.

:) christine

Maria said...

Wow, they look so perfect! What a lovely home-made gift these would make!

Joanne said...

I LOVE these cookies! And now I need to go out and find a pretzel shaped cookie cutter. Thanks so much for posting these!

Cooking Gallery said...

Wow, the cookies look gorgeous and your food styling is always top-notched too :)!!

pigpigscorner said...

oh man, I really have to try making these cookies!

Janine said...

Looks like many of us have the same memories of the Danish blue tin with its butter cookies! And these were my favorite of the lot - I loved that the holes meant more sugar and more crispiness! And yours look like a really close replica of it, and being a Pierre Herme recipe, I bet it was good! Definitely trying soon!!!

A humble and handsomeTaiping boy. said...

I can smell the butter from my laptop already. lol.

louisabellissima said...

I love danish butter cookies. They bring back memories of my childhood, when my auntie used to buy them in large round beautiful tins. I never thought of making them myself, but I will definitely try now, after reading your lovely blog post.

Anonymous said...

Love this recipe, but may i know what is "Fleur de Sel".

Thanks
Annie

Anonymous said...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002HOXGS/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/175-7438897-4446024

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