chocolate sablés

Every time I open this book, I want to bake everything in it.

Look at its beauty! Each page has scalloped edges. 

Miette is a recipe book put out by pastry chef Meg Ray, owner of the San Francisco based pastry shop of the same name. You can learn more about them here. I look forward to visiting the shop in person. Our good friends Chris and Hannah just moved to northern California, and a road trip is in order soon. I’ll let you know if Miette truly is San Francisco’s most charming pastry shop.

For this week’s baking therapy, I chose something simple... chocolate sablés. These combine two of my favorite ingredients... sea salt and dark chocolate.

Mine look more like brownies than cookies. They have a slightly sandy texture, hence their name. Cookies, brownies, sablés... either way, my taste buds say yum.

According to Meg, these cookies were inspired by Pierre Hermé boutique on rue Bonaparte in Paris. Here’s her description:

“...the Miette version replicates the same experience of biting into a crisp lattice supporting bits of pure, soft chocolate... this recipe calls for both cocoa and chocolate. When you bring these two ingredients together, you get a resounding chocolate taste, much more complex than if you were to use just one or the other.”

The key to the wonderful flavors in these cookies, and any good pastry, is this: use only the best ingredients. I used Guittard chocolate, with 72 percent cacao, which is one of my favorites. I used my mini-chopper to break it into small pieces. A good fleur de sel is also an important ingredient, I’m using sel de Guérande from France.

chocolate sablés

from Miette
makes about 36, 1-inch square cookies

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/2 ounces 70 percent cacao chocolate, grated

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a bowl and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until lightened, about 4 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and grated chocolate and mix just to combine.

3. If the dough is soft, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (The dough will keep, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.) Otherwise, roll out the dough 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface into a 6-by-6 inch square. Using a ruler, square the edges as much as possible. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1-inch squares. Place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies until they are firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks.

I highly recommend them with a scoop or two of vanilla ice-cream. If you’re a chocolate lover like me, you won’t be disappointed.