Salty, sweet, gone: Chocolate-pistachio sables

If the recipe list on my blog is any indication, I’m a pretty big fan of cookies. They’re my favorite dessert (aside from ice cream) and my go-to baked good for pretty much any occasion. Dinner with friends? Cookies. Housewarming party? Cookies. Something to take to work? Cookies. I’m staying home the entire day with absolutely nothing on the agenda? Cookies. And cookies.

With Thanksgiving coming up, there are certain dishes that are givens (I’m talking to you, pie), but I always like to have a little something nibbly around, too, just in case the meal takes longer to cook than we expected or there are wild and crazy non-pie-eaters in our midst. Plus, Beany loves cookies, and though I wouldn’t call them bribes, we’ve been known to use them as “incentives” for good behavior. Everyone knows that in order to be a cookie eater, one must be among the nicest, most polite and patient members of society, so it’s only good parenting to let our 2-year-old know that, too, right?

These chocolate-pistachio sables are our latest craze, adapted ever so slightly from the latest issue of Bon Appétit. If you’re in search of the perfect salty, sweet cookie combo, this is it. The cookies themselves have a great buttery texture like shortbread, and the chocolate-pistachio combo gives them a little holiday pizazz. Oh, and the flaky sea salt on top! Goooood stuff. The Maldon salt is a little pricey, but it’s worth it I think.

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Chocolate-Pistachio Sables
Adapted just slightly from Bon Appétit (December 2013) 

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
• flaky sea salt (I used Maldon, available at Whole Foods)

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, and gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add the egg white, and mix until combined. Then fold in the chocolate and pistachios.

Divide dough into four equal pieces, and roll each piece into a log about 8 inches long and 1 ½ inches in diameter. Push the dough together firmly so it doesn’t crumble apart, and then wrap each log tightly in parchment paper and chill until firm, at least 4 hours. [At this point, if you’d rather bake the cookies days or weeks later, stick the parchment-wrapped logs in airtight plastic and freeze them until ready to bake, up to 1 month. You don’t even need to defrost them before slicing and baking!]

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use a serrated knife to cut logs (one at a time) into ¼-inch-thick rounds, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about ½ inch apart. Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt, and bake for about 10-14 minutes (rotating the pan hallway through), until the edges are set and the center looks dry. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 8 dozen cookies

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There’s definitely tons of butter in this recipe, but it makes a gazillion cookies (i.e. eight dozen), so that’s really not so bad. I actually only baked one roll of them the other day and stuck the three others in my freezer for the day before Thanksgiving. So now my freezer is aptly packed with cookies, scones, pie crusts and more cookies. Can you tell the holidays are coming? Are you ready?!?

XO,
Katrina