Chocolate Sables

Chocolate Sables are a French shortbread biscuit.  It has a sandy texture and a rich chocolatey explosive flavor due to the dark cocoa powder and the chunks of bittersweet chocolate bits.  Chocolate Sables are a slice and bake cookie that can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to a month.  Just pull out a roll, slice and bake (as long as it's defrosted) and enjoy a luxuriously chocolate sensation anytime!  

Ingedients

Recipe from Standard Baking Company Pastries

by Alison Pray and Tara Smith 

Makes 72 cookies

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon Dutch processed cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/3 cups (2 2/3 sticks) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 2/3 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1.  Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into bowl or onto a piece of parchment paper.

2.  In a mixing bowl, using a paddle attachment at medium speed, cream butter until smooth.  Add the granulated sugar, the dark brown sugar and the vanilla to the butter.  Beat until light and fluffy.

3.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the sifted dry ingredients and beat just until blended completely.  Add the chocolate chips and mix until mixed through, (dough will be loose).  

4.  Transfer the dough to your work table and divide evenly into 6 equal portions.  Gather each portion into a 6 inch log and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the logs for 1 hour until firm or up to 3 days.  At this point you may freeze some or all of your logs for up to a month, frozen logs should be defrosted before slicing.

 5.  Position two baking racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375° F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

6.  Remove two of the logs from the refrigerator and place on a cutting board.  Cut 1/2 inch thick slices with a sharp knife.  Place slices on the parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.  Approximately 12 slices on each sheet pan.

7.  Bake for 8 minutes then rotate pans top to bottom and front to back.  Bake 4 minutes longer until the centers are just firm to the touch.  Remove from the pans to a wire rack and cool completely.                                                 

 

Repeat with the remaining logs using the cooled baking pans, you can reuse the parchment paper.  Enjoy!

 

 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Hand Pies

Yet another cold and rainy day here in Maine today, I'm needing the warmth of the wood stove, or better yet, the oven!  I have fresh strawberries and cream cheese in the fridge, I think some Strawberry Cream Cheese Hand Pies are in order.  A tender light and flaky crust wrapping itself around a not to sweet filling of strawberries and cream cheese, with a hint of lemon.  Oh yeah, this days getting better already!  

 Ingredients

Recipe makes 12  3-1/2" pies

For the strawberry filling...

1 Tablespoon butter

2 cups fresh strawberries , sliced

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour,sifted

For the cream cheese filling...

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 large egg yolk

For the crust...

2 cups all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks) cold, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

3 Tablespoons cold milk

1 egg for egg wash

coarse sugar, optional 

1.   Prepare the filling first.  Place butter in a medium saucepan on medium, heat until butter starts to brown.  Add strawberries, lemon juice and sugar.  Stir to incorporate and bring to a low simmer.  Cook 5 minutes until strawberries have released their juices.  Remove pan from burner and cool completely.  Add flour and stir to combine.  Spread the mixture into a large 

plate and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

  

2.   In a small bowl, whisk cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest and egg yolk until smooth.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

3.   In a bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt.  Pulse several times to mix.  Add cold butter cubes and pulse only until pea sized lumps remain.  In a small bowl beat together, the egg and milk and add to the dry ingredients and pulse until moisture is introduced throughout all of the flour mixture.  Do not over process. Transfer flour mixture to a lightly floured work surface, and gather mixture together until it forms a ball.  Divide evenly in half and shape into a disk.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

 4.  Remove one disk from the refrigerator and on a well floured surface, roll the dough out to an 11-1/2X11-1/2" square, shy of 1/8" thick.  Using a 3 1/2" square cookie cutter, a pastry wheel or a knife work well also, cut out 9 squares.  Gather together scraps and set aside.  Do the same with the other disk.  Take your leftover scraps and combine into a disk, roll and cut and repeat until you have a total of 24 squares.

In a small bowl, beat remaining egg with 1 Tbs. of water, brush 1/2 of the squares all over with the egg wash.

Spoon about a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture and a teaspoon of the strawberries in the middle of each egg washed square, don't over fill.  Top with the second (unwashed) piece of dough and press all around with your finger, or the tines of a fork.  With a sharp knife poke a few small holes on top to vent steam.  Brush top of each pie with egg wash and if desired, sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Place tarts on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill.

 5.   Heat oven to 375° let the tarts rest in the refrigerator while the oven preheats.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a light golden brown on top.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then remove from pan to a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

For more fresh fruit recipes, click the links below.

Lavender and Lovage

 What Kate Baked 

White Chocolate Dipped Lime Madeleines

I found this recipe on a site sent to me by a friend, from a lovely blog written by Sophia Purvis down in Melbourne, Australia.  Little Box Brownie is the name of the blog.  I'm in love with her photography and her recipes all look like, I want to try!  These gorgeous little gems are an explosion of lime citrus flavor and the white chocolate dipping is my addition to her recipe, I like the drama!  Madeleine's are quite easy to make with very few ingredients, they whip up quick for an impressive afternoon tea with the girls.  

Ingredients

For the cookies...

 

2 ounces butter, melted

2 large eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour, sifted 

1 Tablespoon finely grated lime peel (about 2 limes)

For the syrup...

1/3 cup lime juice

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Optional...

4 ounces good quality white chocolate, melted

1.   Preheat the oven to 375°.  Butter well, Madeleine pan molds, recipe will make about 15 cookies.

2.   Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the eggs on high until they become light and frothy.  Slowly add the sugar and continue to mix on high for 5 minutes, lower speed and mix in the lime zest until incorporated.

3.   Fold in sifted flour by hand with a spatula

 

carefully incorporating all the flour without over mixing.  Add the melted butter and fold it into the batter until completely incorporated.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for about 20 minutes.
  

 

 


4.   Spoon the mixture into the molds about 3/4 full and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly then remove from pan and cool completely on a rack. 

 

5.   Mix together the syrup ingredients, whisking until smooth and brush syrup on cookies and allow to dry.  At this point if you like, dip cookies  in melted white chocolate and allow to dry completely, and enjoy! 

 

Click on the links below to find more yummy recipes!

What Kate Baked 

Lavender and Lovage