SABLÉS DIAMANT VANILLE

These crunchy crumbly shortbread biscuits are my faves and so easy to make - honest!

I think that the direct translation of these are "Sandy Diamonds"

Makes 50
Ingredients:
225g (8oz) unsalted butter at room temperature and cut into cubes
100g (3.5oz) caster sugar (preferably golden unrefined)
Half a teaspoon (tsp) vanilla extract
2g (.5 tsp) salt
320g (12oz) plain white flour

To Finish:
sugar crystals or demerara sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F, gas mark 4)
2. Place the butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until the butter is creamy, then mix in the sugar, vanilla extract and salt and process again. Sift the flour and add to the mixture, then process until the dough is smooth
3. Remove the dough from the processor. Shape it into a ball and devide into 3. Refrigerate for a while to harden the dough (keep doing this if the dough gets too soft. On a sheet of baking parchment roll the dough with the flat of your hands into a cylinder shape about 5cm (2in) in diameter. Make sure there are no slits or bubbles of air in the dough.
4. Spread out the sugar crystals evenly on the sheet of the baking parchment, then roll each cylinder in the sugar
5. Using a sharp knife, cut each cylinder into slices 2cm (3/4 inch) thick
6. Put the slices flat on a sheet of baking parchment laid out on a baking tray. Put in the oven and bake until golden brown (Golden! Not brown as they will go rock hard) approx 22-25 mins. Transfer to a wire rack and cool

Tips:

To make the dough by hand, follow the same procedure as if making in a food processor using a thick ceramic or metal mixing bowl and wooden spoon. Take care not to overwork the ingredients.