Raspberry Jam-Filled Sablé Sandwiches (Lunettes de Romans)

Made from two layers of “pate sablée” and a jammy filling, they are the perfect mix of buttery/tangy and crisp/tender. They’re very popular all throughout France and can be found in most bakeries around the country, ready to be enjoyed for “le goûter” (4pm French snack time).

You can find them sold in most grocery stores in France too, but they’re a breeze to make at home from scratch – and the result is so pretty! The Lunettes de Romans cookies are traditionally oblong in shape with two holes in the middle, which explains their name “lunettes” (eye glasses, in English). But because a scalloped oblong cookie cutter is harder to find, I opted for a simple scalloped round cutter and only one hole in the middle.

This makes these Sablé Sandwiches more accessible and smaller too (so you can have more!). Cooking notes :

• Do not over-knead the dough or the sablés will be tough.
• Keep on eye on the oven while you bake the sablés, as they have to remain quite pale in color (much paler than the Breton sablés, for instance) and can turn too golden very quickly. If too baked and golden, they will be tough and end up difficult to eat with the jam in the middle (they will crumble and the sandwich gets messy).
• Lunettes de Romans are traditionally made with Rasberry jam. I love to use Bonne Maman jams (no ads, I just love their jams!). But you can opt for the jam of your choosing: strawberry, blueberry, apricot, orange marmalade…or even lemon curd, caramel or hazelnut spread.
• I even prefer these Lunettes the next day. The Sablé cookie is a little bit more tender (from the moisture of the jam), the jam is less runny (it gets a bit stickier the next day) and the sandwiches are better sealed together – they are less messy and more even enjoyable to eat.

If you try this Raspberry Jam-Filled Sablé Sandwiches (Lunettes de Romans) recipe let me know! Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram.

Bon Appétit! A recipe adapted from Regal.