Holiday Sablés Breton

Directions

1. 1
   Note the prep time listed above includes inactive refrigeration time for the dough.
2. 2
   In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine both flours, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt. You can also just mix by hand if you don't have a stand mixer.
3. 3
   With the mixer on low speed, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until the mixture is crumbly and no bits of butter are bigger than the size of a small pea. It may take a couple minutes or so. Make sure to mix on low at this point, so the dry ingredients don't scatter everywhere. You could probably actually do this with your hands if they are cold-you don't want the butter to melt as it combines with the dry ingredients.
4. 4
   Add the egg and rum and combine on medium-low speed until it just comes together. Scrape the dough onto a big piece of plastic wrap and press it into a rectangle. Wrap it up and refrigerate it for at least an hour, then take it out and roll it into two 2-inch-thick logs. I ended up with two logs of different lengths and thickness, but I also wanted smaller cookies. Roll them to whatever size you want them to be. Size will affect the number of cookies. Tightly wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
5. 5
   Preheat the oven to 325°F.
6. 6
   Unwrap the cookie dough logs and slice them into rounds that are about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the cookies onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, making sure they are spaced about an inch apart. Top with crushed almonds if desired.
7. 7
   Bake until the cookies are pale golden, rotating the sheets halfway for even baking. The recipe states the baking time to be about 18 minutes, but my cookies were done by 16 minutes. Keep an eye on your oven!
8. 8
   Remove from oven when done. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and bake the rest of the dough.
9. 9
   Make ahead: The dough can be made, wrapped and refrigerated for up to a week before baking. Or it can be frozen for up to three weeks.
10. 10
    Storage: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Yeah, right...get your cookie monster on and enjoy!
11. 11
    Recipe from Tasting Table who adapted from Pierre Zimmermann, La Fournette, Chicago.