VIENNESE NUTTY CHOCOLATE BISCUITS (SABLES): rich & crumbly; easy; economical, dairy-free option

Sables** are gorgeously melt-in-the-mouth petite French biscuits; you could eat loads but their richness means 2-3 are enough to satisfy.

Perfect little mouthfuls of rich crumbly French biscuits with tiny chopped nut 

A Sable is French and translates as "sandy".  They're  usually made by rubbing cold butter into flour and sugar until the dough resembles sand.

Think of them as an elevated version of the ultra-simple very popular Bottom of the Barrel (BoB) Chocolate Shortbread, (though the method differs).

Like the BoB shortbread, sables have few ingredients and the dough comes together in minutes.  Sables however are sliced thickly, not thinly, giving them a pop-in-the-mouth yumminess.

The standard recipe makes an unexpectedly generous amount of dough but the dough can be frozen. When the chocolate or sweet craving hits, just cut a few  dough rectangles and bake.

The dairy-free version makes a standard amount of dough.  

Cost:£3'ish, more for dairy-free (8/25)

Makes: dozens

Ingredients: 

• 200g/8oz plain white flour, wheat or (more easily digested) spelt OR for added fibre, 150g/5.2 white flour + 50g/1.7 wholemeal
• 30g/1oz cocoa powder* (not drinking chocolate)
• 250g/8.5oz room temp unsalted dairy butter+ 2 pinches salt OR vegan butter
• 100g/3.5oz icing sugar
• 1 large egg white (40g/1.5oz'ish)
• 1/4 c finely chopped walnuts or other nuts (opt)

Method: 

1. Sift together flour & cocoa; set aside
2. Beat fat with electric beaters until creamy, about half a minute
3. Sift icing sugar over fat, add egg white & beat 1 minute
4. Add flour, cocoa and nuts; mix until just incorporated; don't overbeat
5. Line a 9x8 inch square or equivalent rectangular tin with a double layer of overlapping clingfilm.  Add dough; spread out evenly with a spatula; cut into 4 vertical rectangles (they'll stick together but separate later); refrigerate 4 hours or overnight
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven or air fryer to 180c;350f 
7. Use a knife to jimmy up a finger of dough; soften at room temp a few mins 
8. Cut into slices 1cm/1.2inch thick; arrange on a baking tray, re-freezing leftover dough 
9. Bake 12-15 mins, (less time for the air fryer)

*67 uses M&S

**adapted from The Cook's Book edited by Jill Norman 

 copyright 2005 Dorling Kindersley

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This recipe has been  by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be used commercially without the author's written permission.