French Butter Cookies - Petit Beurre
These French Butter Cookies are barely sweet, simple little butter cookies that come from France where they are a much-loved cookie with tea, coffee or as a snack. They are particularly good in recipes calling for crushed cookies.
Servings: 60 cookies (up to 70)
Calories: 36kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (280 grams or 10 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ammonium carbonate or baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold (114 grams or 4 ounces)
- 1/2 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons (125 grams or 4 1/3 ounces)
- 1/3 cup milk whole or 2% can be used
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Place the flour, salt and ammonium carbonate or baking powder in the processor bowl.
- Cut the butter into little cubes and add it to the processor. Process until the butter is indistinguishable.
- Add the sugar and process several seconds to mix.
- Combine the milk and vanilla; pour it over the ingredients in the processor and process. Scrape down, rearrange in the bowl and continue processing until a ball forms. It may take a bit before it does. It should be quite cold and easy to roll; if not refrigerate briefly to chill it.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough in half (about 300 grams or 10 1/2 ounces each). Place one piece between 2 pieces of wax paper and roll 1/8” thick. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for a few minutes so they firm up.
- Remove the top piece of paper and measure strips 1 1/4” wide. Cut with a pastry wheel or knife. If the dough becomes soft, return it to the freezer. Cut strips 2 1/2” wide in the opposite direction. You will have cookies that are 1 1/4” x 2 1/2”. Freeze until hard.
- Remove the cookies to baking sheets, placing them about 1” apart. Prick with a fork 4 or 5 times down the long side.
- Bake for 13 to 17 minutes until the edges are browned. Cool completely.
- Repeat with the second piece of dough, adding the scraps from the first.
Notes
If using salted butter, reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon
Ammonium Carbonate or Baker's Ammonia is used as their leaving agent in Europe whenever a crisp cookie or cracker is desired. Be aware the smell is very strong - this is what is used to bring people who have fainted to so don't take a whiff. While some of the smell may permeate the kitchen while the cookies bake, no hint will be left in the cookies or the kitchen.
These are easiest rolled very, very thin between wax paper and frozen before easily cutting them with a pastry wheel or just a knife. The holes, made with a fork, are de rigueur.
Nutrition
Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.2mg
