These salted chocolate sablé cookies are dense, buttery, and crumbly with a slight bitterness from the dark chocolate and dimension from the salt.
French sablé cookies are known for their crumbly and "sandy" texture, as the French translation of the name suggests. They are very similar to shortbread cookies but a little more dense and rich.
These salted chocolate sablé cookies use salted butter instead of my regularly used unsalted butter which gives them a little bit more flavour and dimension. Because of the dark chocolate, they are not too sweet. Depending on the dark chocolate you use, they will have a slight bitterness to them which I personally love. To me, these are the perfect "grown-up" cookie.
How to make salted chocolate sablé cookies
Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
Cream wet ingredients: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until creamy.
Create crumbly dough: Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until it becomes crumbly. Mix in the chopped chocolate until distributed.
Press dough together: Pour the dough out onto the counter and press the crumbs together with your hands until it sticks together.
Form dough into logs: Divide in half and form each half into a log shape about 2" wide and 6" in length. Place each log onto a separate sheet of plastic wrap. Fold the wrap over the log and roll against the counter to create a cylindrical shape. Flatten the ends of each log. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until solid.
Cut out cookie rounds: Unwrap the chilled logs and use a serrated knife to cut ½" discs out. This dough is very crumbly so the cookies may break apart while cutting but you can just press them back together.
Bake: Place cookie rounds on the baking sheet with 1-2" between each cookie and bake cookies at 350F for about 15 mins. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate: Melt 30g of chocolate and transfer to a small piping bag or ziploc bag with the tip cut off. Drizzle the chocolate across each cookie and sprinkle with flaky salt before it hardens.
Tips for success
- Definitely use salted butter in this recipe. The cookies won't be too salty, I promise. It's a mild difference but it gives the cookies slightly more flavour than unsalted butter. I added extra flaked salt to mine because I like them distinctly salted.
- This is a crumbly dough that needs to be pressed firmly to come together. Don't be afraid if the dough looks too dry and sandy at first. It just needs to be pressed together and chilled.
- Use a sharp, serrated knife when cutting out the cookie rounds from the logs straight from the fridge and go slowly. The cookies may break apart but just press them back together.
- Keep cookies chilled in the fridge while waiting for the first sheet to bake. You want to bake the cookies straight from the fridge so that they keep their shape and don't spread.
- When the cookies are fresh out of the oven, you can use a utensil or your fingers (be careful, they are hot!) to push in any misshaped cookie edges to form more uniform circles.
Recipe
Salted Chocolate Sablé Cookies
Ingredients
- 225 g salted butter, softened
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 150 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped, plus additional 30g for drizzling (optional)
- flaky salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until creamy. Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until it becomes crumbly. Mix in the chopped chocolate until distributed.
- Pour the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press the crumbs together with your hands until it sticks together. Divide in half and form each half into a log shape about 2" wide and 6" in length. Place each log onto a separate sheet of plastic wrap. Fold the wrap over the log and roll against the counter to create a cylindrical shape. Flatten the ends of each log. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until solid.
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the chilled logs and use a serrated knife to cut ½" discs out. This dough is very crumbly so the cookies may break apart while cutting but you can just press them back together.
- Place cookie rounds on the baking sheet with 1-2" between each cookie and bake for about 15 mins.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt 30g of chocolate and transfer to a small piping bag or ziploc bag with the tip cut off. Drizzle the chocolate across each cookie and sprinkle with flaky salt before it hardens.
Notes
- This dough is very crumbly but forgiving. That's what gives these sablés their signature sandy, crumbly texture. If your dough or cookies fall apart before baking, just press it back together.
- Depending on your tastes, if you aren't going to decorate these cookies with the chocolate drizzle and flaked salt as I have here, I would recommend adding ¼ teaspoon salt into the cookie dough to achieve the same flavour.
Mary says
Hi! These sound delicious! Do these freeze well? Would love to add them to my Christmas baking list.
Divina says
Hi! Did you use dutch-processed cocoa powder or just the regular?
Gail Ng says
Regular!
Minnie says
Hi!
What's the best way to store these cookies? Can they be frozen?
Would love to add these to my Christmas cookie bake list!
PK says
Hi, does espresso powder the same thing as instant espresso? Instant espresso is the thing that we just put in a cup and pour hot water in and stir then it’s good to drink right away. I’m not sure of espresso powder you mentioned is the same thing here. I’m absolutely clueless about coffee world. Could you kindly recommend the brand you use in the recipe? Thank you !
Gail Ng says
Yes, instant espresso should be the same thing as long as it's a fine powder and not bigger granules! I use NESCAFÉ Gold Espresso Instant Coffee 🙂