Chocolate Sable Cookies

I have been in love with sable cookies forever. Sable in French means “sandy” and most sable cookies have a crumbly texture and delicious butter flavor. This recipe creates a fantastic cookie, made out of crumbly chocolate shortbread.

Chocolate Sables
Makes about 3 dozen
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, frozen for 10 minutes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk

Grate the chilled chocolate with a fine grater or rasp and set aside. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt. Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until just combined. Mix in the yolk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and beat lightly together until just combined but still crumbly. Fold in grated chocolate with a spatula. Bring the dough together by lightly squeezing in your hands; but don’t knead or overwork.

Divide the dough in half. Shape into a log and cover with waxed paper. Repeat with remaining dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (To keep logs round store inside an empty paper towel roll.)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Slice logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds with a sharp, thin knife. Divide rounds onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake until cookies smell fragrant with a full cocoa aroma and set on the outside, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans, about 5 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.