These chocolate sables are my take on the classic French cookie, featuring an orange-scented chocolate base with hazelnuts and a drizzle of white chocolate. With a nutty, fragrant, and intense chocolate flavor, this is a great cookie recipe to have in your back pocket for the holidays.
Chocolate lovers like me will rejoice with these dark chocolate cookies. I love that French sable cookies often have a rim of crunchy sparkling sugar, an ideal textural contrast with the rest of the biscuit. Shortbread/sables/biscuits are usually less sweet, so that extra ounce of sugar on the outside brings everything together.
The cocoa base in these cookies adds a bittersweet element, so a drizzle of white chocolate balances the whole cookie. But you can even nix the white chocolate and pair them with a sweet drink, like eggnog.
Sables vs. Shortbread
Sables are very similar to shortbread cookies, but they do have a few minor differences. For this recipe, I took some hints from Dorie Greenspan’s original recipe. The dough is softer side, less crumbly than a shortbread, and wetter from adding egg yolk. The resulting cookies are buttery and tender, with a crunchy exterior.
For more holiday treats, try my coffee cake cookies, brioche cinnamon rolls, or mini basque cheesecake.
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa Powder: These cookies really need the rich flavor of dutch-processed cocoa powder, so do not use natural cocoa here.
- Orange Zest: Orange zest offers a subtle fresh citrus scent, almost like using an extract, but much cheaper.
- Demerara Sugar: I like adding demerara, turbinado, or sparkling sugar to coat the log of dough before slicing and baking. It adds a nice crunch and sweetness.
- White Chocolate: A drizzle of white chocolate balances the bittersweet flavor of the cocoa powder. If you're not a fan of white chocolate, you can use milk chocolate, too.
- Nuts: I love the combination of hazelnuts, orange, and cocoa, but pistachios or almonds would also work wonderfully!
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1 - Make the dough: To the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with the paddle attachment, add the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar. Start on low speed to incorporate everything, then increase to medium speed and beat until somewhat light and fluffy, about 1 - 2 minutes (Image 1).
Add the egg yolk, orange zest, and vanilla extract until combined. Then, add the dry ingredients (salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and flour) on low speed. Finally, fold in the hazelnuts (Image 2).
Note: It's normal for the cookie dough to be slightly sticky!
Step 2 - Shape and chill: Divide dough in half and shape each half into a log shape (about 2 - 2 ½ inches in diameter) (Image 3). Wrap each log of dough in plastic wrap (Image 4) and chill for at least 1 hour up to 1 day.
TIP: It can be a bit tricky to form a perfect log shape; just do your best! I like wrapping the log in plastic wrap then rolling it back and forth on the counter to smooth and even it out.
Step 3 - Slice: Preheat the oven to 325°F / 163°C, and remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Beat the remaining egg white and dip each half until coated, then roll around in the demerara sugar until well-covered (Image 5).
Using a serrated knife or a sharp knife, slice firmly into individual cookies - you're looking for about ⅓-inch thick rounds (Image 6). Arrange cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart (Image 7).
Step 4 - Bake: Bake cookies for 20 - 24 minutes until they appear slightly soft, matte, and barely make an indent if you gently tap the center of them with your fingers (Image 8). The hazelnuts on the bottom of the cookie will also be golden brown.
Step 5 - Cool: Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6 - Drizzle: Once cookies are completely cooled, prepare the white chocolate drizzle. Melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave in 15-second increments, then drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies with a squeeze bottle or spoon. Wait 15 - 30 minutes until the white chocolate sets completely before digging in.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 - 4 days.
Tips
- When slicing the cookies, make sure to give a firm cut from top to bottom (do not use a sawing motion). If they crumble, you can gently press them back together.
- For a consistent, even drizzle, use a squeeze bottle for the white chocolate.
- If you're a fan of salty-sweet treats, I highly recommend garnishing these cookies with a little bit of flaky sea salt, like fleur de sel.
Recipe FAQs
Sable, a French word, means "sandy" and it refers to the process of rubbing cold butter with sugar and flour to create a sandy texture.
Unfortunately, this recipe will not work without chilling the sables. They will be difficult to slice and may spread significantly in the oven.
Absolutely! Just nix the hazelnuts and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Yes, you can freeze the logs for up to 3 months, then thaw them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before slicing and baking.
For even more cozy recipes, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter.
Happy eating! Love, KarishmaChocolate Sable Cookies
Ingredients
- 226 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 67 grams granulated white sugar
- 40 grams powdered sugar
- 1 large egg, separated
- Zest from 1 orange
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 29 grams dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted if clumpy
- 250 grams all-purpose flour, sifted if clumpy
- 67 grams hazelnuts, chopped | remove any large pieces of the outer skin that separate from the nut while chopping
- 75 grams demerara sugar, or sparkling sugar / turbinado sugar
- ½ cup white chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
Make the dough:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or an electric hand mixer), add butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar. Start mixer on low speed until butter and sugars combine, then increase to medium speed and beat for 1 minute until slightly fluffy.226 grams unsalted butter, 67 grams granulated white sugar, 40 grams powdered sugar
- On medium speed, add the egg yolk, orange zest, and vanilla extract and beat until just combined.1 large egg, Zest from 1 orange, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Gradually add the salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, and flour on low speed and beat until the dough is homogeneous and no dry spots remain. You may need to scrape down the mixer with a spatula at times to ensure everything is fully incorporated. The dough will feel soft and slightly sticky.½ teaspoon kosher salt, 29 grams dutch-process cocoa powder, 250 grams all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- On low speed, add the chopped hazelnuts and beat until evenly distributed.67 grams hazelnuts
- Divide the dough in half and place one portion on top of a large piece of plastic wrap. Tightly fold the plastic wrap over cover the dough, then using your hands roll the dough into a tight log shape. Note: You can roll the dough back and forth on your counter to get a smoother log shape. Repeat with the other portion of dough. Chill both halves in the fridge for at least 1 hour, up to 1 day.
Slice and bake:
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 325°F/163°C.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg white. Pour sparkling sugar onto a cutting board or plate in a roughly even layer.75 grams demerara sugar
- Unwrap one of the dough portions and use a pastry brush to brush the egg white mixture on all sides until coated. Then, roll the dough into the sparkling sugar until fully coated. You can also pick up some of the sugar to cover any bare spots. Slice into ⅓-inch thick rounds. If any of the cookies break, gently press them back together.
- Arrange each cookie 2 inches apart on the baking sheet to allow room for spreading. Bake for 20 - 24 minutes. When done, the cookies will still appear soft, but they will look matte and barely make an indent if you gently tap the center of them with your fingers. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Drizzle with white chocolate:
- To melt the chocolate, add white chocolate to a small bowl, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir with a spoon, then microwave in 15-second intervals until completely melted.½ cup white chocolate
- While still warm, use a spoon or a squeeze bottle to drizzle white chocolate over the cooled cookies. Cool to room temperature until white chocolate sets completely before eating.
- Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag for 3 - 4 days at room temperature.
Notes
- When slicing the cookies, make sure to give a firm cut from top to bottom (do not use a sawing motion). If they crumble, you can gently press them back together.
- For a consistent, even drizzle, use a squeeze bottle for the white chocolate.
- If you're a fan of salty-sweet treats, I highly recommend garnishing these cookies with a little bit of flaky sea salt, like fleur de sel.
Nutrition
Recipe reference: Dorie Greenspan's Vanilla Bean Sables
