Vanilla Bean French Butter Cookies (Sablés)

I feel like Christmas always springs up on me each year. I cherish the Christmas season with all of the beautiful lights, poinsettias, candlelight service, and celebrations with loved ones. And of course, I love all of the baking, especially the cookies! It’s Christmas Eve and if you’re looking for a quick yet elegant and delicious cookie recipe, these Vanilla Bean Sablés are for you!

This year was my second year participating in Food52’s Holiday Swap and I had so much fun thinking of a variety of delicious cookies to include in my basket! The concept behind this international holiday swap is that you send a package of homemade and/or curated gifts (food is highly recommended – this is a swap between people who love food after all!) to someone either in your own country or abroad and excitedly wait for them to receive it. In return, you also receive a lovely packaged gift from someone else! The swap also provides funds to Action Against Hunger, which helps fight global hunger. If you’re interested, sign up for reminder emails to receive notifications for next year’s swap using the link above!

These Vanilla Bean Sablés are one of my favorite cookies because I am a purist and these cookies really highlight the vanilla and butter with a subtle hint of lemon. The cookies melt in your mouth and I love the slight crunch of the sugar-coated edges, which I think also dresses up the cookies and gives them a nice sparkle. And perhaps the best part of all is that the dough can be made in advance so all you have to do is slice and bake them right before your guests arrive or whenever you’re in dire need of some buttery cookies asap!

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and Healthy & Happy New Year!