punition sandwiches
Hitched and happily-evered, we finally had a chance to return to Paris in March of this year, for an all-the-vacation-we-could-squeeze-in four-day weekend. This time we came not armed with bling and life-altering inquiries, but a detailed list of unequivocal recommendations (“When you go to Berthillon, and you must go to the original on Ile Saint-Louis, you must order the marron glace ice cream because they only make it a few months a year and it is the best.”), some from friends and others culled from French food blogs. High on the list was the Poilane Bakery, an in particular, their sable cookies called ‘punitions’, an admitted addiction of Clotilde.
Punitions are a simultaneously crisp but sandy, buttery, mildly sweet, golden-edged cookie and about as far as you can get from the “punishment” they translate to. Apparently, grandmothers used to give them to their grandchildren for their gouter (after-school snack), luring them in by teasing, “come and get your punishment!” They taste fantastic; four ingredients you’ve been combining in endless recipes, but obviously all wrong because they’ve never tasted this good together. Can a butter cookie alone make a trip worthwhile? Do I even have to tell you what I think?
I tracked down a book with the “original” recipe a few months ago, but didn’t find the perfect excuse to bake them until a housewarming party a few weeks ago. I shouldn’t have waited so long: they were ridiculously easy to make and roll out; aside from some time chilling in the refrigerator, some of the easiest cookies I’ve made. Inspired by Jenjen’s killer photography, I filled them with some bittersweet ganache. They don’t need it, but as an American I feel it is my duty to never know when to leave a recipe well enough alone. I can assure you, nobody complained.
Punishments (Punitions)
Adapted from Boulangerie Poilâne, via Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan
1 1/4 sticks (5 oz; 140 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature [I used salted, just my preference, and fodder for a whole other post.]
Slightly rounded 1/2 cup (125 g) sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
1. Put the butter in the work bowl of a food processor* fitted with the metal blade and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the butter is smooth. Add the sugar and process and scrape until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the egg and continue to process, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture is smooth and satiny. Add the flour all at once, then pulse 10 to 15 times, until the dough forms clumps and curds and looks like streusel.
2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it into a ball. Divide the ball in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap the disks in plastic. If you have the time, chill the disks until they are firm, about 4 hours. If you’re in a hurry, you can roll the dough out immediately; it will be a little stickier, but fine. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
3. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is between 1/8 and 1/4 inch (4 and 7 mm) thick. Using a 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can and place them on the lined sheets, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) space between them. (You can gather the scraps into a disk and chill them, then roll, cut, and bake them later.)
5. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are set but pale. (If some of the cookies are thinner than the others, the thin ones may brown around the edges. M. Poilâne would approve. He’d tell you the spots of color here and there show they are made by hand.) Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature.
Do ahead: The cookies can be kept in a tin at room temperature for about 5 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 1 month.
* Though they were originally made by hand, Greenspan encourages the food processor, because it works so quickly, you can get that “quintessential sandy texture that is the hallmark of these plain cookies.” And yes, I just love the way she says that.
where is this recipe?? Is it like the french cookie Le Petit Ecolier?? You could put Nutella in the middle or on top.
Hey, we got engaged in Paris too! He got down on one knee when we were walking along the Seine:
http://fewofmyfavourites.blogspot.com/2006/01/our-favourite-city-paris.html
Those look delicious… and so pretty! I’m anxiously awaiting the recipe. Oh, and I agree with Elle – Nutella would be awesome.
Oooh, another butter cookie recipe for me to try! They look perfectly adorable, and very tasty to boot! :)
i don’t bake, so will some kind soul here in NYC make these for me? (just kidding… kinda…)
You have captured so magnificently the simple beauty of visual repitition. It is waht stills and silences me in the kitchen. Like snowflake watching/eating.
Those are some beautiful photos! When I lived in Paris, I’d go to Poilane to buy bread and sneak a few nibbles from the basket of punitions set out by the cash register… delicious in so many ways.
wow you have certainly outdone yourself with these cookies. They look marvellous. I will be trying this recipe out, as I have a thing for butter cookies. I have to give every recipe I come across a go. This no doubt will be great.
BTW your photos of Paris are just spectacular, especially the ones of the Eiffel Tower lit up.
Made them. Loved them. Want to eat 100 of them.
These cookies look so beautiful! Where do you find cookie cutters like these? :)
Hi Yvonne — I think it’s technically a fluted biscuit cutter. However, there are sets of concentric cookie cutters in tins both fluted and non-fluted available through Amazon.
These cookies look marvelous!! This is the next cookie recipe that I have to bake. I have eaten chocolate sables and want to know how to make the recipe. I love your photos of Paris.
Those look really good. I will try to make this someday! Also, I love the photos.
I made this recipe the other day and loved it! So much simpler than a previous Cooks Illustrated recipe I had used (it called for pushing boiled eggs through a sieve, ’nuff said)
I saw that sable recipe and was very curious to try it, just uh, not curious enough to try it yet. Was the flavor worth it?
They had a good flavor and texture, but in my opinion, no, you’re just as well off with a simple recipe like this one.
Good morning Deb,
I was curious if there was a reason you don’t give the yield of each of your recipes? I usually like to know in advance if I will need to double the recipe or half it. With thanks.
I don’t suppose these could be made substituting some cocoa powder for flour? I recently had some seriously delicious chocolate sables and would love to figure out how to make them myself; the texture of these cookies seems perfect.
would this recipe work as a tart crust with a chocolate filling? if so- how long should it be baked?
You should try my tart crust recipe.
thank you for this recipe! so simple, and so delicious. so tempting to just eat them a few minutes after they came out of the oven, but pretty adorable as little orange marmalade sandwiches. ;)
These look great. I need some new cookie sheets and wondering if you have recommendations? Do you have non-stick cookie sheets or just regular ones? I don’t know if you recommend specific products, but just asking for some suggestions. My cookies never seem to come out right and wondering if different pans may help a bit. Thanks, Kelly
Hi Kelly — I do not have a preference; I mostly bake cookies on a sheet of parchment paper.
oh, thanks for responding! You know, I did a “surprise me” and then forgot and thought this was just from a few days ago. So, I kept on reading it thinking you had taken your little one to Paris…ah, so now I see…but taking your little one to Paris does sound nice, too, no?
Thanks again. Off to buy some cookie sheets and reserve them in my house for just cookies or baking and parchment paper.
Kelly
I love the simplicity of these, but I’ve been craving an orange-butter cookie, half dipped in chocolate. So, I wonder if the dough would hold up as well for rolling/cutting if a little orange zest were added. Hmmmmm.