Famous French Sablés de Noël Recipe

Family big success : I have not the time to cook a batch that I have to prepare the next one, as those cookies are eaten in no time!! 

Therefore I thought of writing for you the recipe of my own family very easy French Stars sablés de Noêl.

Regarding the glazed hazelnut and almond biscuits I followed Christelle's recipe in her French blog Cookismo : Click

SABLÉS de NOÊL RECIPE

• Flour                    190 g
• Butter (soft)         125 g
• Sugar                   125 g
• Eggs                     3 egg yolks (keep the whites for the hazelnut cookies)
• Salt                       1 pinch
• Ginger powder     1 tablespoon 
• Baking powder     1 teaspoon
• Half a lemon juice  

Mix well the soft butter with the sugar,

Add the egg yolks and the lemon,

Add the flour, baking powder and salt,

Knead until the dough comes together in a ball,

Leave it to rest for a while (or not if you are like me in a hurry),

Spread the batter of 5mm thickness on your floured countertop.

Use a cookie cutter to make about 26 stars,

Bake in preheated oven at 160 C (320 F) turning heat for 15 mn.

Kids Christmas Crafts

Two of my five grand children who are living here in Greece came visit us for the week end. It was such a happiness to see them so joyful and enthusiastic for preparing Christmas! My six years old grand-son and my four years old grand-daughter helped me baking the French traditional Christmas cookies : sablés de Noël. After what, with the help of their father, they cut some paper ornaments and garlands, and hanged them on the tree. It is the first time I let the children decorate the Christmas tree without interfering and I must say that they did a very good job!

The Christmas Stars quilt is the second quilt I did years ago and it's always a pleasure to see it again at this time of the year. You can see several detailed pictures of it in a previous post : Click.

Christmas Cookies

During these days, definitely no quilting, no sewing, no knitting, only cooking all day long!

I baked the traditional Greek Christmas cookies called Kourabiedes. They are done with almonds, butter, eggs, wheat, sugar and cognac, and they are delicious!

Today is the preparation of Christmas Eve diner, but I make a short break to send all my cyberfriends my best wishes for a HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Neutral Hues

My sons are coming to Greece for the Christmas holidays, and my eldest son brought me new fabrics from Chicago. I had ordered several neutral hues to mix with my Liberty fabrics, for a 2015 quilt project : I plan to make a new Log Cabin quilt with a tender soft look. These days, I have no time for quilting, considering I can barely keep up with cooking! I just knit for a while early in the morning with a cup of tea, when the house is still asleep...

Christmas Quilt

 

When I entered a quilting group about twenty years ago, everyone was working on an Eight Point Star quilt. They showed me how to proceed, and I did my first quilt using this pattern. With the enthusiasm of the beginner I finished it quickly and started at once a second one with the same pattern : this Christmas lap quilt. It is hand pieced and hand quilted. Every Christmas since twenty years I enjoy taking it out from the closet and display it on a sofa.

Christmas Handmade Ornaments

 

For many years I was preparing, together with a group of good friends, Christmas ornaments for charity sales. Nowadays, when I hang mine on the Christmas tree I remember the good moments we were sharing, doing such activities together...

This year I decided not to put anything fragile on the Christmas tree because we shall have our first grandson who is now 18 months and who will try to catch the toys! I recall some kind of dramas with my own children breaking every year beautiful ornaments, with the result that from those days only two or three are still "alive"! 

Hoping everyone is enjoying the feasts preparations!

Christmas Charity Sale

As every year for Christmas we are having in Athens traditional charity sales, and I love them. I really think that there is nothing nicer than admiring all those beautiful crafts handmade with love. This bazaar I participated was happening last Sunday in the Archeological Institute of Athens. It was very successful and we had a great time enjoying the meeting of friends, and sharing with them typical French Alsacian specialities such as quiches, soups, spicy hot wine, warm chocolate...  I hope everyone is enjoying those pre-Christmas festivities as we do here in Greece!

More Christmas decorations

 Every year it's a great pleasure to decorate home with quilts and 

hand made crafts. This Christmas quilt is the second I did, hand pieced and hand quilted.

Christmas quilt

Christmas quilt

Christmas decoration

 Christmas ambiance at home now, I started decorating for the feast!

Here are some of my collected Santa Claus. Behind is a needlepoint canvas,

and under a cross stitch embroidery, done by me years ago.

Peres Noel

Santa Claus mugs on the lounge table. Behind is an antique Mennonite quilt 

dated beginning of 20th century

Mugs

Candle and basket

 This is a bag I sewed for my knitting of the moment : a mustard shawl.

Knitting bag

The Christmas tree needs some more arrangements.

Christmas tree