French Butter Cookies from Brittany

These are the perfect biscuit to serve at a High Tea. They can be garnished with Homemade Whipped Cream, Pastry Cream or any Bonne Maman Fruit Preserves.
I've included my easy homemade recipes for my favorite Whipped Cream and my favorite easy, delicious Pastry Cream.
This recipe made 33 Cookies. It may vary.

Great little indentation in each cookie for Jam
or Clotted Cream.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.
Mini Muffin Tins for about 40 Biscuits. There's enough Butter in the recipe so you don't need to butter the Tins.
I've written the recipe to make it by hand, as it would have been in rural Brittany, using only a Bowl and a Wooden Spoon.

12 TBS of the best Salted Butter you can afford, room temperature. If you use unsalted Butter, you'll add the Salt in the recipe.
2/3 C Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp Fleur de Sel (Sea Salt). Omit if using a good Salted Butter.
4 Egg Yolks
1 C All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda

In a Glass Bowl with a Wooden Spoon:
Butter
Sugar
Salt
Mix well until creamy smooth.

Add:
Egg Yolks
Mix until well combined.

Add:
Flour
Baking Soda
Stir well until it comes together to form the Dough.

Pick up the Dough and form a log with your hands.
The Dough is very sticky. Put a bit of Flour on your hands and on a flat surface.
Place the Dough onto a piece of Plastic Wrap.
Wrap tightly.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Flour a flat surface again and roll out the dough by hand to the diameter
of the inside measurement of the Mini Muffin Tin. Mine is 1 1/4".
Refrigerate again for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove when ready to bake.
Use a sharp knife and slice discs 3/4" thickness, gently press them into the cups.

Bake 15 - 20 minutes, until golden brown. (15 minutes was perfect)

Remove the pan to a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer the Biscuits to the rack to cool completely.

Serve with a good Hot Jasmine Green Tea or Ceylon Tea.

OPTIONS:
Garnish with:
Homemade Whipped Cream
Pastry Cream
Your favorite Bonne Maman Fruit Preserves.


This is my favorite recipe for homemade Whipped Cream.

Homemade Whipped Cream:

1 C Heavy Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
1 TBS Confectioner's Sugar.
Whip the Cream in a Stand Mixer with a Whisk Attachment.
Beat to Soft Peak.
Add:
Vanilla
Confectioner's Sugar
Beat to Stiff Peak.
Transfer to a Serving Bowl to serve.



My Favorite Pastry Cream.
This is definitely one of my Best of the Best Recipes.
It's the only Pastry Cream I make.

It can be used for:
Cream Puffs
Icing the center of a layered cake
Strawberry Shortcake
Aebelskiver filling
Trifle
Eclairs
Pastry Cream Crepe Cake
Macaron Filling
Fruit Tarts


1 Pint of Heavy Cream. (2 Cups)
1 pint of Vanilla Ice Cream (2 Cups), softened.
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Almond extract
1 1/2 boxes of Instant French Vanilla Pudding

In a Stand Mixer with a Whisk Attachment:
Heavy Cream
Ice Cream
Begin whipping on low speed just until completely combined.

Add:
Vanilla
Almond extract
Beat to combine well.

Gradually Add:
Pudding Mix
Beat to combine well. It should begin to thicken.

Transfer to a Mixing Bowl
Cover with Plastic Wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!