When Marion and John were traveling in Normandy, they sampled a famous local specialty, sablés (sablé is French for “sandy”). Marion immediately recognized a familiar cookie, which she had always known as sand tarts. You may substitute brown sugar for the sugar, if desired.

Whisk together in a medium bowl:

Beat in a large bowl, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, until creamy:

Gradually add and beat until light and fluffy:

Beat in:

Gradually stir the flour into the butter-sugar mixture until well blended and briefly knead to bring the dough together. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 1 ½-inch-diameter log. Tightly wrap the logs in parchment paper and freeze for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets or cookie sheets with parchment paper (you may use the parchment paper you wrapped the cookie dough in).

Working with 1 log of dough at a time, slice the log into ¼-inch-thick rounds and place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake as is or, if desired, brush the tops of the cookies with:

And sprinkle with:

Place in the center of each:

Bake until very light golden, about 8 minutes, switching oven racks and rotating the sheets halfway through. Let cool on the sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.