Make A French Cookie Flight for the Holidays

Today we’re making a French cookie flight as well as some lovely sage and lavender tea. We featured this cookie flight in our How to Decorate For A French Provincial Christmas article, and now we’re going to show you how to make this beautiful cookie flight for the holidays or any occasion beyond.

Read on for the recipes, or watch the video below!

Pistachio Madeleines

Our first cookie is a Pistachio Madeleines. For a long time, my go to recipe was a classic lemon glazed madeleine, but after trying this pistachio version, it might become my new go to. When I first developed my lemon madeleines recipe, I was gluten free, so if that’s a dietary concern, madeleines taste delicious with oat flour. You can replace the ½ c a/p flour with ¾ c oat flour and should get similar results. If you’re interested in the Lemon Glazed Madeleine recipe, then click here.

Makes 18 cookies

Pistachio Madeleines

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or (¾ c oat flour for gluten free)
• 1/2 cup unsalted pistachio flour (finely ground pistachio)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Chocolate coating:

• 1 c white candy quick  
• Green food dye

Directions:

1. Brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Listen for popping sounds and cook until the popping slows, and the butter has taken on a brown color and a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and the pistachio flour (to make your own pistachio flower, grind nuts in a high speed blender until fine), and sugar; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest, eggs, and salt and whisk until frothy. Whisk in the flour and sugar mixture until just combined with the egg mixture. Stir in the butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 12-mold madeleine pans. Spoon or pipe the batter into prepared pans, filling each mold about halfway.
4. Bake until edges of the cakes are golden brown, about 12-14 minutes.
5. Remove the madeleines from the oven and tilt them immediately out onto a cooling rack or demold from pan and let cool laying on the side in the Madeleine pan.
6. While the madeleines are cooling, melt white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 15- 20 second increments. Once melted add a few drops of green food coloring until you have your desired color. Spoon about 1- 1 ½ tsp worth into the Madeleine pan and then immediately place a madeleine shell side down into the chocolate pressing to ensure the chocolate coats the front of the madeleine. Complete all the madeleines and then chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
7. Demold the madeleines and serve. 

Langues de Chat with Lavender White Chocolate Ganache

Cat’s got your tongue? It just might if you’re eating a Langues de chat (long- du- sha), which translates to cat’s tongue. These simple butter cookies originated in 17^th century France and got their name, likely because of their long and thin shape, reminiscent of cat’s tongues. Since then, langues de chat have travelled around the world, taking on regional variations and names. One of the most notable updates to the langues de chat is the Shiroi Koibito or “white lover” cookie from Sapporo, Japan. These cookies are square shaped rather than long and have a white chocolate filling, inspired by the snowy climate of Sapporo. Since starting production in 1976, this cookie variation has become popular across Japan, and, coincidentally was my first experience with the langue de chat cookie.

So, while our lavender and seafoam holiday theme takes heavy inspiration from France, we’re nothing if not global citizens, so this langue de chat recipe takes inspiration from its Japanese counterpart with a with a ganache filling

Makes 10 cookies

Lavender Ganache

• ¼ c heavy whipping cream
• 3 tsp dried lavender
• 1 c white chocolate chips
• Optional purple food dye

Directions:

1. Line a small to medium baking sheet (one with sides) with parchment paper.
2. Heat the cream and lavender in a pot over medium heat. Heat until bubbled form around the edges of the pot. Remove from heat and let the lavender steep while you add the white chocolate to a heat proof bowl.
3. Place the white chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl.
4. Strain the cream into the bowl with the white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. You may need to microwave in 10 second increments to help the chocolate melt. Add in dye if using.
5. Pour the ganache onto the parchment tray and let set in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour or until firm.

Langues de Chat

• 1 stick room temperature unsalted butter
• ¾ c powdered sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3 egg whites
• ½ tsp vanilla extract 
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 2/3 c flour

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F.
2. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a stand mixer combine the butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Mix with a paddle attachment on medium speed until the butter is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract and continue mixing until combined.
5. Turn the mix speed to low and add the salt. Add the flour in batches until it’s just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate any missed flour.
6. Put the batter in a piping bag with a ½ inch round tip. Pipe 3 inch lines with enough space for the cookies to spread about 1 inch in-between.
7. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
8. After 10 minutes, bake the cookies until golden brown, around 10-12 minutes. Once the cookies are done baking, let cool on the pans for 3 minutes then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. While the cookies are cooling, remove the ganache from the fridge. Once the cookies have cooled place one on top of the ganache. Use a knife to cut around the langue de chat so that the ganache filling will fit the size of the cookie. Continue until you have 12 ganache pieces.
10. Gently lift the ganache with a small spatula and place in between two lange de chat cookies. Gently press the cookies together until the filling is secure and the two cookies are connected. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to two days (any longer and the cookies lose crispiness).

Sable (French Butter Cookie) with Infused Sage and Lavender Sugar

I hadn’t had a sable before making this recipe, but let me tell you, there’s a reason it’s one of France’s most loved cookies. Created in 1670 in the town of Sablé-sur-Sarthe for a party, these cookies are renowned for their buttery and crumbly texture reminiscent of sand, which is what sable means in French. Like many a French cookie, sable are versatile with many different flavors, decorations, and toppings. Regardless of how you make them they pair perfectly with tea. I tasted these on the first day and thought they were a little underwhelming, but soon I found myself craving them when they weren’t in front of me. It was voted the favorite by a majority of those who tried the cookie flight and so, if you only have time to make one cookie, make these. And dare I say, they get better with time.

Makes 24 cookies

Infused Sugar:

Lavender Infused Sugar

• 1 c granulated sugar
• 1 sprig fresh lavender leaf
• 1 tsp dried food grade lavender blooms

Wash and dry fresh herbs. Place 1 cup of sugar into a bowl. Add lavender leaf and lavender blooms to the sugar, stir and agitate to help oils release into the sugar. Transfer into an airtight container. Let infuse for 1-2 weeks for full flavor.

*You can adjust the amount of herbs based on your preference for flavor. Experiment with what you like!

Sage Infused Sugar

• 1 c granulated sugar
• 5 fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp dried sage

Wash and dry fresh herbs. Cut up sage leaves into small strips. Place 1 cup of sugar into a bowl. Add sage leaves to the sugar, stir and agitate to help oils release into the sugar. Transfer into an airtight container. Let infuse for 1-2 weeks for full flavor.

*You can adjust the amount of herbs based on your preference for flavor. Experiment with what you like!

French Butter Cookie (Sable):

• ½ c room temperature salted butter (or add ½ tsp salt to unsalted butter)
• ½ c powder sugar
• 2 room temperature egg yolk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c + 2 TBSP flour
• ¼ c sugar for dusting  

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add 1 egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix until combined.
2. Wrap dough and refrigerate for 20 minute. Remove from fridge and divide into two pieces. Roll each into log shape about 1 inch in diameter 4 in leght.
3. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 45 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375 f. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove cookies from freezer and roll in ¼ c sugar to coat.
5. Cut each log into 3/8 inch thick and arrange on baking sheet. Use a fork to create a croshhash pattern on the top pf the cookie. Whisk 1 egg yolk in a small bowl and brush the top of the cookie with the yolk.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.
7. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minites. Transfer to cooling rack. Store in airtight contier for up to 5 days.  

Sage + Lavender Tea

To complete the cookie flight, we’re making a sage and lavender tea. The tea taste herbal with a hint of a minty flavor. Sage is part of the mint family and brewed lavender can take on a rosemary or mint like taste. Serve the tea with the leftover infused sugar. To fit with the French Provincial theme, we served the sugar in rustic bowls with bird toppers. You can also prepare some dried lavender as well as dried citrus like oranges or lemons.

Tea

• 1 fresh lavender leaf or 2 tsp dried lavender buds
• 11 fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 c boiling water
• Optional sweetener of choice
• You can also use store bought blends or mix you own from store teas

Directions:

Boil water. Let herbs steep for 15 minutes. Strain and serve.

This concludes our French Provincial Christmas theme, up next is our Christmas frost theme where we will be sharing décor and food ideas inspired by the colors smoked grey and iced vanilla. I hope you will join us for our next theme and as always, enchantment awaits, life is just about finding it.

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