Ok cookie attempt number one is in the books. And I have to say – I am pretty f’ing impressed with myself. Since I have night terrors about cookie making, I decided it was best to just open this new cookie book I got here and whatever I landed on, I was going for it. Good or bad or gross, I was gonna start there and then, if I didn’t f—k up too royally, I would be selective my second choice.
So I got espresso sables…and I laughed my ass of bc this is the second time I have made this kind of cookie – this kind being a sable. I have one other – chocolate pistachio sable – that I make everyone Christmas that I eat the shit out of every year. It’s really good and not super hard, you roll it into a log, chill it and slice it.
So I was all, ‘ yessssssssssssssss…shit I know!’ Except this wasn’t. This was complicated. Wtf. It required muffin tins and a round cookie cutter that cut to fit in muffin tins., a rolling pin…ugh, ugh, ugh. But, whatever, I had all the ingredients so I went for it. I loved this cookie. BUTTTTT I will say it a bit difficult – especially for someone who is trying to get better at cookies, this is not an ideal start. It has a lot steps and is kind of pain in the ass to roll out – the dough is sticky and I was annoyed while preparing these. That being said the end result is a super buttery and crisp cookie, not dry like every f’ing shortbread I have ever attempted. And the finely chopped dark chocolate was like shavings that peppered every bit of the cookie without being chunky, it was smooth and melted in your mouth – it worked wonderfully. My youngest, my son who is an unbelievably picky eater, like the second most picky in the house, was eyeing them up on the counter as he did his homework, super curious about what they tasted like. I convinced him to have just a bite, saying the espresso in the cookie really just made it taste chocolatier…his words ‘you’re right, it enhances the chocolate shavings,’ good call young one.
Give this a try with a nice cup of coffee – I kind of even would consider this a breakfast-allowed cookie, partly because I ate roughly three every morning this week, and partly bc it isn’t super sweet and it dunks extra f’ing good in your coffee.
Cookie attempt number one…a winner, but not the best f’ing cookie, so I am on to the next. STAY TUNED 🙂
Espresso Sable Cookies (recipe by Dorie Greenspan in the book Dorie’s Cookies)
1 ½ tablespoons instant espresso
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces; 226 grams) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
⅔ cup (80 grams) confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch ground cinnamon (optional) – Dorie says optional I say not optional, it is super subtle and adds a dimension you do not expect – a good one
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
cups (272 grams) all-purpose flour
4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water. Set the extract aside to cool to lukewarm or room temperature.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon, if you’re using it, together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed, until well blended.
Mix in the vanilla and espresso extract on low speed. Turn off the mixer, add the flour all at once and pulse to begin incorporating it, then mix on low speed until the flour almost disappears into the dough. Scrape down the bowl, add the chopped chocolate and mix until evenly distributed. Give the dough a few last turns with a sturdy flexible spatula.
Turn the dough out onto the counter and divide it in half. Shape each half into a disk. Working with one piece of dough at a time, sandwich it between pieces of parchment paper and roll it to a thickness of ¼ inch. Slide the dough, still sandwiched, onto a baking sheet—you can stack the slabs—and freeze the dough for at least 1 hour this is not an option, this dough is sticky and you will be annoyed if you don’t freeze it first – trust me cause I didn’t at first and I got pissed and tossed a quarter of the dough in the trash.
Spray a regular muffin tin, or two tins, if you have them so you can bake all at once. Have a 2-inch-round cookie cutter at hand.
Peel away both pieces of paper and put the dough back on one piece of paper. Cut the dough and drop the flat disks into the muffin tins.
The dough might not fill the molds completely, but it will once baked. Save the scraps from both pieces of dough, then gather them together, re-roll, chill and cut.
Bake the cookies for 20 mins – more and they may be dry – less and they won’t be finished – 20 mins was right on. Transfer the muffin tin(s) to a rack and leave the cookies in the tin(s) for about 10 mins before carefully lifting them out onto the rack to cool completely.
