French is supposed to be the language of love. I also say it's the language of food because almost every edible sounds classier in French, lol. Sables (pronounced "sah-blay" and no, don't pronounce the second "s" in there) au Chocolat sounds more upscale than "chocolate cookies". I've only been to Paris once and I did the usual touristy things like climb the Eiffel Tower and L'Arc de Triomphe and do a day trip out to Versaille. But my favorite part about France was being able to walk into any hole-in-the-wall food shop and get the best bread ever. I don't know if it was my imagination but everything just seemed to taste better in Paris, especially the fresh baguettes.
One place, however, that I missed out on, simply because at the time I didn't know about it, was visiting La Maison du Chocolat, a confection-boutique chain of high-end chocolates by chocolatier Robert Linxe. I didn't know about it until after my trip and I could kick myself for not making a point of going there. I haven't returned to Paris since then but it's definitely on my bucket list to go visit. For now, this recipe book will have to stand in for it.
The picture of these cookies in the recipe book is what moved me to try them but I have to admit I'm a little disappointed in how they turned out. I thought they would crisp up and have more of a snap to them, like maybe the upscale cocoa version of the Oreo cookie. Not so, mes amis. Instead they were not moist, not dry. They were just....there. So then I tried covering half the tops with chocolate to give them a little punch. Eh. Just okay. And I did follow the recipe to the letter, including timing them in the oven since they were chocolate cookies and it's hard to tell by looks alone if chocolate cookies - excuse me, sables au chocolat, are done. But they are how they are. Perhaps I need to stick to the all-American brownie after all.
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1. Combine the confectioners’ sugar and the cocoa powder in a bowl and mix to blend. Set aside.
2. Place the butter in a mixing bowl, add the cocoa powder mixture and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and beat vigorously. Add one third of the flour and fold just to blend with a spatula; do not overmix. Repeat for the remaining flour, adding in two more batches. Form the dough into a large ball and refrigerate for 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Form the dough into little sausage shapes, about 1 inch in diameter, and roll in the granulated sugar. Return to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350⁰F. Slice the dough sausages into circles about ¼-inch thick and arrange on a nonstick baking sheet.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool before serving.
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