Lemon Sable Biscuit Recipe

The classic sable biscuit has the perfect balance between crumbly and crisp* and is super versatile in terms of what you can add to make all your favourite flavours. They are great with a cuppa or equally good on the side of a dessert like a Panna Cotta. We also use these as the base to cheesecake (although I do hate smashing them up when they look so pretty!)

Many biscuits, and recipes for sable biscuits bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. I like this method of baking slowly at 150°C as they brown slowly and evenly and this helps perfect the crumb.

* To me, this means I can dunk in my tea without losing half of it but softens up just enough with the hot tea, yum

Ingredients

200g Butter
70g Caster Sugar
1 Vanilla pod
Zest of a lemon
1/4 tsp Fleur de Sel
250g Plain Flour

How to Make

• Pre heat the oven to 150°C, fan assisted.
• Beat the butter and the sugar – I do this in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for a full 5 minutes until it’s pale and fluffy.
• Split the vanilla pod down the middle length ways and scrap out the inside, the seeds. Add to the mixture.
• Add the salt and lemon zest and mix through.
• Add the flour and beat together until it comes together as a dough that holds its shape when pressed together.
• You now have a biscuit dough! Gather it together in your hands and roll into a log shape about 3cm in diameter. This mixture will make two.
• Wrap in cling film then rest in the fridge for at least at hour – or place in the freezer for another day (takes about 1 hour to defrost)
• When ready to bake, use a sharp knife to slice the log into 5mm thick discs.
• Place these on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire tray then enjoy!

Variations

This recipe is for a simple vanilla and lemon biscuit but it is the base to your biscuit imagination! Just add your chosen ingredient in place of the lemon zest in the recipe.

Here are some variations we like:

Exchange the lemon zest for orange or lime zest

Finely chopped 30g pistachio, 30g dark chocolate and 1tbsp dried orange peel (I leave the vanilla out for this one)

Finely chopped 30g crystallised ginger and 1/2 tsp ginger spice