I was got a copy of French Patisserie: Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferandi School of Culinary Arts for Christmas last year and was immediately smitten. The book itself is beautiful, filled with gorgeous photos of pastry-chef worthy recipes, but it also takes baking concepts and breaks them into levels (1= beginner- 3; expert). For months, I was too intimidated to make any thing out of it. Finally, I decided to take the plunge and make the Nantes Shortbread. The book is heavy on instructions, and light on history, so I know nothing about these cookies other than they go really well with a cup of coffee.
A couple of notes:
- The original recipe called for vanilla bean, but vanilla bean is expensive right now, so I subbed vanilla extract.
- Don’t be afraid to brush a good amount of egg wash on the tops of the cookies. The more egg wash, the better the end pattern.
Nantes Shortbread Cookies
- 4.5 oz unsalted butter, (softened)
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg, (lightly beaten)
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extra
- 2 cups all purpose flour, (sifted)
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
Egg Wash
- 1 egg, (lightly beaten)
- 1 tsp. coffee or vanilla extract
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Cream the sugar and butter in a stand mixer until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter/sugar mixture until smooth. Stir in the flour and baking powder until incorporated completely.
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Gently knead the dough on a lightly floured countertop, using your hands for 3-5 minutes and then cover the dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch and cut out using a 2 inch biscuit (or cookie) cutter. Place cookies on the cookie sheet with about 2 inches in between each cookie
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Brush the tops of the cookies with the egg wash. Use the back of a fork to create decorative patterns on the tops of the cookies
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Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
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