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Cinnamon Butter Cookies Recipe:
10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 large egg (55 grams), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (50 grams) ground almonds
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) salt
Egg Wash:
1 large egg (55 grams), at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
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Cinnamon Butter Cookies: In the bowl of your electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat butter until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until well combined (about two minutes). Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until incorporated.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough a few times to bring it together, and divide the dough in half. Then roll each half between two sheets of parchment or wax paper until it is about 1/4 inch (.5 cm) thick. As you roll, periodically check the top and bottom sheets of parchment and smooth out any wrinkles. Place the dough on a baking sheet (along with the parchment paper) and place in the refrigerator until cold and firm (at least 3-4 hours or even overnight).
Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
Once chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and peel off the top piece of parchment paper. Using a cookie cutter, cut out the cookies. Place them on the prepared baking sheets. Gather up any scraps and re-roll. (You will need to refrigerate the dough again until firm before cutting out the reamining cookies.)
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven.
Egg Wash: In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the cream and salt. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops of the cookies with the egg wash. Let stand about 5-10 minutes and then brush the tops of the cookies a second time with the egg wash. Bake the cookies for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate your baking sheet front to back about halfway through baking.
Cool cookies on wire rack. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.
Makes about 36 - 3 inch (7.5 cm) cookies.
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Ground Cinnamon is used quite a bit in baking, especially during the Christmas season. Its warm and sweet, yet delicate, flavor is perfect in cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, muffins, breads, etc. In this Cinnamon Butter Cookie, ground cinnamon pairs wonderfully with ground almonds and vanilla. So good you may find yourself making these cookies year round.
Another name for this shortbread-like cookie is a Cinnamon Sablé, also known as a French Butter Cookie or Breton Biscuit. The name 'Sablé' is French for "sand", which refers to the sandy texture of this delicate and crumbly cookie. I love how the tops of the unbaked cookies are brushed with an egg wash which gives them a glossy sheen.
A few notes on ingredients. Butter is what gives these cookies their wonderful flavor and crisp and flaky texture. So use the best you can afford. I like to use a higher fat (82% butterfat content) European-style (cultured) butter to make these cookies. Also, I know that buying vanilla extract can also be a challenge as there are so many choices. The first thing to do is to make sure that it is labeled "pure". Stay away from the ones labeled "imitation" vanilla extracts as they tend to leave a bitter aftertaste. Another idea is to use pure vanilla bean paste which is a thick vanilla extract with the vanilla bean seeds. You can also use the seeds from one vanilla bean instead of the vanilla extract.