Citrus Cardamom Sablé Cookies
These French sablé cookies are flavored with lemon zest, orange zest, and ground cardamom—it’s a complementary blend worthy of a special occasion!
Sablé cookies are classic French shortbread-style treats, named for their delicate, “sandy” texture. They’re rich, buttery, and crumbly in the best way—perfect with tea or coffee, or as an elegant addition to your holiday cookie tray.
This version gets a flavorful twist from bright lemon and orange zest along with aromatic cardamom. The dough is shaped into logs and chilled, making it easy to slice and bake as needed. The citrus and spice make them feel special, but the method is beautifully simple.
To keep the rolls from flattening as the chill in the fridge, I put the wrapped logs in an empty paper towel tube. Cut the tube so you can insert the sablé log easily, then tie the tube in a few places with kitchen twine. This helps keep the sablé cookies perfectly round.
Bright citrus flavor. Orange and lemon zest add a fresh, vibrant note that balances the richness.
Elegant with minimal effort. Just slice and bake after chilling—no rolling pins or cookie cutters required.
Perfectly crisp edges. Brushed with egg white and rolled in sparkling sugar for a beautiful finish and slight crunch.
Ideal for gifting. These cookies stay fresh and hold their shape, making them great for cookie boxes and platters.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for the best flavor and texture—make sure it’s at room temperature for creaming.
- Citrus zest: The zest of a large orange and lemon adds bold natural flavor. A microplane zester works best.
- Cardamom: Ground cardamom adds warmth and complexity. If your cardamom is older, use a touch more.
- Sparkling or sanding sugar: Adds sparkle and crunch to the edges. Turbinado sugar can be used in a pinch.
- Egg yolk/white: The yolk enriches the dough; the reserved white is for brushing the chilled log before coating with sugar.
How to Make Citrus Cardamom Sable Cookies
- Start by whisking together the flour and salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, mash the zest into the granulated sugar to release the citrus oils, then stir in the cardamom.
- In a mixer, beat the butter until creamy, then add the citrus sugar and confectioners’ sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolk, then gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.
- Divide and shape the dough into two logs, about 8 to 9 inches long. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
- Before baking, preheat your oven and line baking sheets with parchment. Brush each log with the reserved egg white and roll in sparkling sugar. Slice the dough into ½-inch rounds and space them out on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake until the bottoms are lightly golden—this usually takes 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool on the pan briefly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Recipe Variation Ideas
- Use a different citrus. Swap in lime or grapefruit zest for a new twist on the flavor profile.
- Add nuts. Fold in very finely chopped pistachios or almonds for extra texture.
- Try vanilla or almond. Add a splash of extract along with the egg yolk for extra depth.
- Make them into shapes. Roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters instead of shaping logs.
How to Store
Refrigerate: Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Freeze: Freeze baked cookies in a sealed container or bag for up to 6 months. Freeze unbaked dough logs tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.
Citrus Cardamom Sablé Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups 280 grams all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/3 cup 66 grams granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup 38 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg, separated
- Sparkling sugar or sanding sugar
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl; whisk to blend and set aside.
- Combine the sugar and zest. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, and cardamom; use a spoon to mash the zest into the sugar to combine it thoroughly. Stir in the cardamom. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and zest mixture and the confectioners’ sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Finish the dough. Add the egg yolk to the creamed mixture and beat until well combined. Refrigerate the egg white until it’s time to cut and bake the cookies. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until blended.
- Shape and chill the dough. Shape the dough into 2 equal logs about 8 or 9 inches in length. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Prepare the oven and pan. When it’s time to bake, heat the oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Apply the egg wash. Whisk the egg white and brush over a cookie dough roll and then roll in sparkling sugar or a large-grain sugar.
- Slice and bake. Cut a roll into 1/2-inch slices and place them 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining roll of cookie dough. Bake the sablés until lightly browned on the bottoms, about 18 to 20 minutes.
- Cool and store. Cool the cookies in the pan for 5 minutes then move them to a rack to cool completely. Store sablés in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze in a resealable freezer bag or container for up to 6 months.
