Palets Bretons French Butter Cookies
Palets Bretons are classic French butter biscuits from Brittany, known for their rich buttery flavor and tender, crumbly texture. These French butter cookies require just six simple ingredients and can be baked slightly soft and cakey or longer for a crispier finish. Enjoy them with coffee, tea, or a scoop of ice cream for a simple afternoon treat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only six ingredients – Made with simple pantry ingredients, yet the result is rich and buttery.
- Easy to make – The dough comes together with simple steps, and you don’t need a hand or stand mixer.
- Minimal mess – Everything is prepared in one bowl, and shaping the cookies is easy.
- Rich buttery flavor – Delicious on their own, or serve them with ice cream, whipped cream, or your favorite dessert sauce.
Ingredients
- Flour – All-purpose flour gives these cookies their classic structure. For a slightly softer, more tender crumb, you can use cake flour.
- Butter – Salted butter gives Palets Bretons their rich buttery flavor. Since the butter already contains salt, there’s no need to add extra salt to the dough.
- Egg yolk – Adds richness and color and helps bring the dough together.
- Sugar – Fine white sugar or confectioners’ sugar works well. Avoid brown sugar, as it will change the flavor and texture.
Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the flour and baking powder together.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Shape the dough into a cylinder about 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut the chilled dough into 8 equal slices. Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan, then place one slice of dough in each liner. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden.
Pro Tips
- Use properly softened butter – The butter should be soft enough to mix but never melted or overly warm, or the cookies may lose their characteristic texture.
- Don’t overmix – Once you add the flour, mix only until combined. Overmixing can make the cookies tough.
- Preheat the oven well – Give the oven about 30 minutes to reach and stabilize at the correct temperature before baking.
- Watch for the golden color – Ovens vary, so start checking before the 20-minute mark. The Palets Bretons are ready when they turn golden.
Variations
Palets Bretons are delicious on their own, but you can easily add different flavors to the dough.
- Add nuts – Fold in finely chopped toasted walnuts, pecans, or pistachios for extra flavor and texture.
- Add citrus zest – Replace the vanilla with finely grated lemon or orange zest for a fresh citrus flavor.
- Add warm spices – A little cinnamon or nutmeg adds warmth and makes these French butter cookies especially nice for the holiday season.
How to Serve
With ice cream – Serve the cookies with a scoop of vanilla or vanilla-caramel ice cream for a simple dessert.
With chocolate or caramel sauce – Drizzle them with chocolate sauce or your caramel sauce before serving.
Over pudding – Crumble the cookies over vanilla pudding for a buttery, crunchy topping.
Storing
Palets Bretons taste even better the next day. Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to help maintain their texture.
⭐PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW
If you have tried this recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
Palets Bretons French Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup salted softened butter Not melted.
- ¼ cup fine white sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk flour and baking powder. Keep aside.
- In a different mixing bowl, whisk the butter with sugar until well combined, add the egg yolk and the vanilla extract. Beat for three minutes.
- Mix the dry with the wet ingredients until combined. Make a cylinder of 1 ½ inch in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C for 30 minutes before using it.
- Cut the cookies into eight equal size slices. Place a cupcake liner in a cupcake pan. Place the slices in the liners. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
- The cookies will expand, hence, it is best to place them in a cupcake pan to prevent it from spreading and maintain their shape.
- Place the cookies on a cooling wire to cool completly.
Notes
-
- Use properly softened butter. It should be soft enough to mix but not melted or overly warm, or the cookies may lose their characteristic texture.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Once you add the flour, mix only until combined to prevent tough cookies.
- Preheat the oven well. Give it about 30 minutes to reach and stabilize at the correct temperature.
- Watch the cookies closely. Ovens vary, so start checking before 20 minutes. They are ready when golden.
- This recipe is adapted from Eugenie Kitchen.
These cookies look absolutely delicious and I can imagine the flavour. Yes you are right.. All the ingredients are pantry staples..
Have to dive in.
Thanks and pictures are great too.
Hi Shibani, Thanks for your kind words 🙂
I too love both versions…you know, how can they be not delicious when butter and sugar are involved :-))
I agree 🙂
These cookies are the epitome of perfection. They look like they will literally melt in your mouth.
They actually do, I love butter cookies and these were perfect!