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The origin of the sablé dates back to the beginning of the 18th century in Normandy and is defined as "a type of rather sought-after pastry, which crumbles like sand when eaten". Around 1870, Littré included the word "sablé" in his dictionary, where he defined it as "the name of a type of cake in Normandy". More than a century ago, in the small Norman village of Lonlay l'Abbaye, Virgile Fouilleul, the baker, between two batches of bread, used to slowly bake shortbread in a wood fire in molds made by the village carpenter. They were sold on site or sent to soldiers on the front. When he died, his son-in-law Georges Lautour took over the business. Mobilized during the Second World War, upon his return, he also decided to start making a Norman shortbread to compensate for the loss of customers due to his prolonged absence… His wife, Hélène, provided him with the recipe from her notebooks… The Abbey Sablé was born.