Here’s a list of cookies or biscuits that start with the letter S: Snickerdoodles from the United States, Sablé from France, and Speculoos from Belgium and the Netherlands.
Snickerdoodles (United States)
Ingredients:
- 375 gm flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- 220 gm room temperature butter, preferably unsalted
- 267 gm granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the cookie topping:
- 70 gm granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 190°C and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large enough mixing bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and granulated sugar until pale and smooth, then add vanilla extract, the egg and one yolk.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients in batches until you achieve a dense dough.
- Scoop out a generous tablespoonful of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball. You can also use an ice cream scooper if you want chunkier cookies.
- Flatten them slightly onto the lined baking tray and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon topping.
- Rinse and repeat this process until you run out of the dough. Ensure that the cookies are spaced at least a few inches apart so they have space to spread out during the cooking process.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes in two batches, especially if you have a small oven.
- Once done, they will be soft and fluffy, but gain some structural integrity as they cool down.
Speculoos (Belgium and the Netherlands)
Ingredients:
- 185 gm flour
- 115 gm room temperature unsalted butter
- 110 gm dark brown sugar
- 100 gm white sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 ½ tsp of the following spice blend:
- ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp ground anise
Instructions:
- Combine flour, salt, the spice blend and baking powder in a bowl.
- In another bowl, cream the unsalted butter along with the sugar until you get a light brown paste. Then mix in the egg.
- Add the flour to this and mix well. You will soon get a well-combined dough.
- Flatten and wrap it in cling film, then refrigerate for a couple of hours.
- Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Take the dough out from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. It should be about ½ inch thick.
- Cut the dough into rectangles and place them onto the baking tray.
- Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes. Let them cool on a wire rack before enjoying them with a warm beverage or some milk.
Sablé (France)
Ingredients:
- 240 gm flour
- 170 gm unsalted butter
- 133 gm sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk for brushing the cookies before baking
Instructions:
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg, salt and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Incorporate the flour slowly into the wet ingredients. Keep mixing until you get a soft cookie dough.
- Roll it into a floured surface, flatten it into a rectangle, wrap in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Flour your surface liberally and place the chilled dough on it. Cover with parchment paper and roll it out to an ⅛ inch thickness.
- Use a cookie cutter of your desired shape, and cut out as many cookies as you can. Place on the lined baking tray.
- Use up all the dough or save some for later. You can freeze it.
- Chill the prepared cookies for half an hour. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 175°C.
- Before placing the baking tray on the oven, brush each cookie with the egg yolk. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes.