Having had a really busy summer, I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from this blog. One of the things that makes a busy summer easier is food that does not take much time to cook, and I was fortunate to discover some pre-made cookie dough that I had made earlier this summer in my freezer! After having lugged my furniture and belongings down three flights of stairs as I moved apartments this summer, these cookies, among others, turned out to be perfect 10 minute desserts that I literally had to take out of the freezer and bake – both to reinvigorate me and whichever friends were helping!
With a hint of sea salt, these dark chocolate sables are a light and delicate dessert, perfect for both an after-dinner snack or a pick-me-up during dreary afternoons. Like all cookie dough, I stored this one in the freezer in the form of two logs, making it really easy to bake a few at a time, so that you always have soft, warm cookies straight from the oven. In case the dough is too hard, defrost it for 10 minutes, which should make it much easier to cut away cookies of the desired thickness.
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Dutched cocoa powder (ordinary cocoa powder will do if you do not have it)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking sod
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt + extra to sprinkle on top of cookie
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate, grated or finely chopped until almost powdery (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar)
Directions
- Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda together into a bowl and set aside.
- Cream butter, sugar and salt together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla, beating until combined, then scraping down sides. Add dry ingredients and grated chocolate together and mix until just combined.
- Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap it up and chill it in the fridge until just firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. No need to get it fully hard, or it will be harder to roll out.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll dough gently — it will still be on the crumbly side, so only attempt to flatten it slightly with each roll — until it is 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and space them an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some extra sea salt on top of cookie. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (for thinner cookies) or 10 to 12 minutes (for thicker ones). Leave cookies on baking sheets out of the oven for a couple minutes before gently, carefully transferring them to cooling racks, as they’ll be fragile until they cool.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Alternatively, you can store the logs of unbaked cookie dough for months in the freezer, cutting away chunks to quickly bake some as and when you need them.
And in case you’re in the mood for similar flavors and happen to be visiting/living in New Haven, don’t forget to try out Ordinary’s dark chocolate cookies with sea salt served with some warm milk! Priced at $7, these 2 huge cookies are more than enough to feed at least a few people!
Cookies with Sea Salt @ Ordinary, New Haven, CT
Who needs a diet? 