La Sablésienne Tonka Bean Shortbread Cookies 100g

The first thing to know about this biscuit is that it still tastes like a sablé. Fresh butter, wheat flour, sugar and eggs make the familiar short, crumbly base; tonka bean adds a more elusive aroma. La Sablésienne describes it as recalling vanilla, caramel and cinnamon, depending on the person tasting it. The maker's broader account also mentions almond and coffee suggestions. That makes the biscuit interesting without turning it into a spice blend: there is just one named tonka flavouring in the exact product's ingredient list. The little rounds are scalloped and crisp, while the 1670 line's richer butter-and-egg dough gives a gently tender finish. This is not an iced or filled cookie, so the fragrance can do its work without competition. Try one alone first, then notice how a cup of tea changes the emphasis. A dark tea brings out the caramel side; fruit can make the vanilla impression seem brighter. The 100 g sleeve is a useful size for sharing, though it also fits very comfortably beside a book and one cup.

• Tea, then a second sip: Brew Dammann Frères Breakfast Tea and serve the biscuits plain. Its malt and gentle tannin hold their own beside the butter and warm tonka aroma. The tea is sold separately.
• Citrus for contrast: Put a little Maison Perrotte Orange, Madagascar Vanilla & Ceylon Cinnamon Preserve in a separate bowl. Orange sharpens the biscuit's caramel-like notes, while the preserve's vanilla and cinnamon pick up the flavour's more delicate side. The jar is sold separately; add it at the table to keep the sablés crisp.
• A quiet dessert: Crumble one biscuit over plain yogurt, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream. It is a small way to add crunch and fragrance without building an elaborate pudding. Save a whole one for the side; it makes the plate look as though you planned it.

La Sablésienne's 1670 range points to a story much older than the company itself. The house was founded in Sablé-sur-Sarthe in 1962, while the number recalls the Marquise de Sablé and the round biscuits associated with her visit to the Grand Condé's court in 1670. The tonka version keeps that familiar shape and butter-rich recipe but borrows an aroma from a dark seed native to South America. It is a tidy example of the bakery's range: the same local biscuit can carry a flavour that feels a little travelled. The maker says its 1670 dough has more butter and egg than its other sablés, with the egg mixed through the dough rather than brushed on top. So the twist is in the perfume, while the texture still belongs unmistakably to Sablé.

Ingredients and allergens: Wheat flour, fresh butter (milk) 22.7%, sugar, eggs, salt, natural tonka bean flavouring, corn starch. Made in a workshop that also uses sesame, soy and tree nuts.

Store in a cool, dry place, away from heat and moisture.