During my internship in Paris, we would come back to visit Nico's family every two months or so and Nico's mother would invariably send us back to Paris with canned green beans, jam, farm-fresh eggs, and a cookie tin full of broyé du Poitou, a dessert reminiscent of shortbread. Early on, I started bringing some to work to share with my colleagues. Word quickly spread that there was broyé in our office and I made a lot of new buddies. It turned out to be very useful diplomatic tool. Here is my mother-in-law's recipe:
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) salted butter (If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt)
4 cups flour
2 eggs
Prehat your oven to 420° F and melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave. Mix together the flour, sugar, melted butter, and 1 egg using your hands. Cover a cookie sheet with baking paper and spread the mixture evenly, using your hands to make sure it is roughly the same thickness all over (roughly an inch thick). Take the yolk from the remaining egg and beat it with a fork, then spread it on top of the batter. Use your fork to lightly score the broyé. Bake on a top oven rack for approximately 20-30 minutes. When the broyé starts to become golden brown, turn off the oven and let it finish cooking. Once cooled, break into serving size pieces. Serve with coffee or tea.
