November 9, 2007
Sablés Croquants Poivre et Noisette
[Crisp Hazelnut and Pepper Cookies]
If you're the observant type, you may have noticed the walk-on actor in the fig sorbet picture two weeks ago. And you know what happens to walk-ons when they're talented and good-lookin' and lucky: they graduate to leading roles. Today is the cookie's big break; today, the cookie gets to be the hero of the post.
The recipe comes from Laurence Salomon's cookbook, Fondre de plaisir
"Who is Laurence Salomon?" you may ask -- and a valid question it is. She's the chef of Nature & Saveur (need I translate?), a restaurant in the town of Annecy. She trained as a naturopath before she became a chef, and her cuisine, which I hear is outstanding, focuses on whole ingredients, health, and balance.
I was 100% sold on the idea, but I can't say the book had me jumping up and down with excitement, or feverishly earmarking recipes. Don't get me wrong: it is a good book, full of valuable tips and information, but it feels a little too ascetic for me, the voice of the nutritionist a little too present. I'm holding on to it because I feel it has things to teach me, but it's not the sort of book that I crack open with a grumble in my stomach, rubbing my hands and thinking, "So! What's for dinner tonight?"
Small wonder then, that the first recipe I try from it should be a cookie. The recipe can be found on page 156, where it features as a crumble-like topping over the Compotée pommes-abricots au yaourt de soja vanillé et coulis de noisette (stewed apples and apricots with vanilla soy yogurt and hazelnut coulis).
I might not have noticed the recipe at all if it weren't for Claire, who had used it as a sorbet accessory last June. And I'm immensely grateful she did, because these are the best sablés I've made in a long time -- my live-in taste-tester would tell you as much if he didn't have his mouth full.
I modified the recipe a little bit (ahem) to use butter (instead of margarine), spelt instead of oats (it's what I had on hand), pepper instead of cinnamon (cinnamon bores me, while a dash of pepper exalts the flavor of hazelnuts like no other), and rose water in place of plain water: the cookies were to be served with my fig sorbet, and rose and fig are notorious flavor pals.
And as a final bonus, let me share the following life-altering tip. Have you ever chopped hazelnuts with a knife? Is it not maddening how they go flying every which way, so that you end up with more hazelnuts lurking amongst your spice jars and rolling underfoot, than on your cutting board? Fret no more, for there is a better way: equip yourself with a sturdy food storage bag and a heavy-bottomed pan. Place the hazelnuts, whole, inside the storage bag. Zip the bag shut, place it on a cutting board, and bang on it with all your might. Feel better now?
* Fondre de plaisir translates roughly to "melting from pleasure", which can be understood as shedding pounds while still eating well. It isn't a diet book at all, but I'm guessing the publisher didn't mind the ambiguity.
Biscuits Croquants Poivre et Noisette
- 100 grams (3/4 cup) whole hazelnuts
- 200 grams (1 2/3 cups) whole wheat flour (I used a mix of T65 and T110)
- 70 grams (2/3 cup) spelt flakes (or other old-fashioned rolled grains, such as oats)
- 120 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) unrefined cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- a good pinch salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (substitute 1/4 teaspoon curry powder or 1/2 teaspoon good cinnamon)
- 130 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) butter, chilled and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons rose water, orange flower water, or just plain water, plus a little more as needed
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet until fragrant. If the hazelnuts are still in their papery husks, you can remove some of it by rubbing them in a clean dishcloth while they're still warm; you don't have to, though. Let cool and chop roughly (see tip above).
Combine the hazelnuts with the rest of the dry ingredients, from flour to pepper, in a medium mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until blended.
Add the diced butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a wire pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the rose water and stir it in until the dough comes together just enough that you can gather it in two balls. If it's not enough, add a little more rose water, little by little, until the dough reaches the desired consistency.
Cover the bowl with a dishcloth and set aside somewhere cool for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the dough into balls a bit larger than walnuts, flatten them slightly, and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving them a little elbowroom to expand.
Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and set. Let stand for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transfering to a rack to cool completely.
Adapted from Laurence Salomon's Fondre de plaisir
More Entries Like This One:
~ Swimming Cherries, Hazelnut Rosemary Tuiles
~ Hazelnut Cubes
~ Cherry Hazelnut Loaf Cake
~ Homemade Lärabars
~ Raspberry Dacquoise Entremets
Never miss a recipe!Sign up for the Chocolate & Zucchini newsletter to receive monthly news and a digest of recent entries.
Print me!
| 
French version
| 
Comments (47)
Permalink | Posted by clotilde in Cookies & Small Cakes - Recipe Inside!
They did sound fabulous in the fig post! Hazelnut and pepper - such a unique combination!
Posted by Hillary on November 9, 2007 7:03 PMThat's the method I use for chopping hazelnuts too (any nuts, actually)! It works like a charm. These cookies sound delish!
Posted by Dana on November 9, 2007 7:21 PMJe ne demande pas qui est Laurence Salomon et je te pique un de tes jolis sablés.
Posted by mamina on November 9, 2007 7:48 PMHmmmm, these sablés look so crisp and yummy. Je crois que je vais les faire bientot!
xxx
Posted by fanny on November 9, 2007 7:49 PM- fanny
I'm using the method with a bag too, not just for nuts but also for some spices like cardamom, dried ginger, fresh lemon grass too, when I want just to lightly crash them.
It is better than grinding them.
I just put them in a bag and press lightly with pestle!
I liked cookies. That is Oscar winning performance!
Posted by FreshAdriaticFish on November 9, 2007 7:59 PMBien contente d'avoir contribué au déclic ! Ton idée de mettre du poivre m'intrigue et m'interpelle. Il faudra que j'essaye !
Posted by Clea on November 9, 2007 8:26 PMTwo great tips at once- bashing hazelnuts in a bag and a pepper and hazelnut affair. Thank you muchly!
Posted by Laura on November 9, 2007 8:52 PMYou've definitely made the recipe more interesting - I really love the idea of adding pepper. Wouldn't have thought of it!
I've been cooking a lot with rosewater recently and these cookies are again very inspirational.
Posted by Evelin on November 9, 2007 9:45 PMThank you!
Très tentant cette recette!
Posted by Dav on November 9, 2007 9:45 PMI've used black pepper in both spice cake and spice cookies. It works really well--people can't figure out why they're so good!
To chop nuts? I hunch over real close to the counter and catch escapees with my elbows.
Posted by gingerpale on November 9, 2007 11:04 PMYum. I am very nervous to make these at home for fear of eating them all myself! I love pepper in gingersnaps too...
Posted by Lola on November 10, 2007 1:32 AMLovely combination in the cookies...and the bag chopping-genius! Nothing like releasing a little aggression in the mid-afternoon. ;)
Posted by Katia on November 10, 2007 3:39 AMthanks for the ideas!
I adore this kind of crisp little cookie; can't wait to try the recipe.
Posted by casey on November 10, 2007 6:13 AMCes sablés sont super chouettes!
Posted by Lisanka on November 10, 2007 7:48 AMthe cookies look delicious. my boyfriend once crushed hazelnuts for a cake one by one with a garlic press.:-) i wasn't home at the time
Posted by sophia on November 10, 2007 10:07 AMbon défouloir la méthode casse-noisettes! merci!!
Posted by est on November 10, 2007 11:47 AMI've never thought of using black pepper in sweets. This morning I added some to my oatmeal and it was a revelation! It's really worth a try, especially with a little molasses and lightly toasted walnuts. How much fun I'm so glad you turned me on to this new combination of flavors.
Posted by Maya on November 10, 2007 5:28 PMHmmm. I wonder if the bashing in a ziplock bag would work with chocolate too-to make a block of chocolate into chocolate chips?
Posted by Linda Mathieu on November 10, 2007 6:15 PMDo many French people dislike cinnamon? My husband hates it but I still slip it into desserts with apples. I just think cooked apples need cinnamon.
I can't wait to try black pepper with my cookies. Have you tried playing with the different varieties of cinnamon? I did a flavor analysis project on four types of cinnamon (China Tung Hing Cassia, Karintje Cassia, Vietnamese Cassia and Ceylon True cinnamon)for one of my classes and we found that the China Tung Hing has really strong black pepper and chicory notes. It's definitely more of a savory than sweet cinnamon. I purchased the Tung Hing at the Spice House in Chicago, and they do ship if you're not lucky enough to live in the flat middle of the US.
Gingerpale--thanks for making me laugh at the imagery of hazelnuts and eyebrows! Hah!
Posted by Christy on November 10, 2007 7:06 PMYour nut-chopping idea is life altering indeed! Just today I was looking at chopping jars for that very purpose and I am SO happy to avoid buying yet another kitchen gadget! Can't wait to try the recipe.
Posted by Susan on November 10, 2007 11:20 PMI have to second Evelin, you made the recipe more delightful. I am a fan of sables. They could be a nice addition to my Christmas cookie kits.
Posted by At Home with Kim Vallee on November 11, 2007 4:53 AMI usually chop nuts by putting them in the tiny electrical choppers...but I like your method better. More rustic. :)
Posted by AppetiteforChina on November 11, 2007 7:31 AMI use the same method.
Posted by Carmelo Lisciotto on November 11, 2007 4:04 PMPepper and hazelnuts in a cookie..! I've never thought of it before and I'm still a bit skeptical but I trust you palate so may need to give this a try...
Posted by Annemarie on November 11, 2007 5:15 PMThese look very tasty! Though I share your boredom with cinnamon, I'm thinking it might be OK here. Plus, the health police are now telling us that cinnamon is very very good for us and that we need to be practically inhaling it.
Posted by sixty-five on November 11, 2007 5:46 PMThis is the first new recipe that I have printed out in a good long while! I love the use of black pepper in sweets (have you seen my choco pepper cookies?) I have been substituting cinnamon with cardamom for quite some time; going with a new alternative rocks! A frenchman that I know, says that there is a dictatorship of cinnamon in the US. Thanks for this!
Posted by Alisa on November 11, 2007 6:19 PMThis looks delicious!!!!
Posted by It's Crazy Delicious on November 11, 2007 9:58 PMhi
Posted by sarah on November 11, 2007 11:53 PMi havent tryed the cookies but i was wondering if you could recomend a good chocolate muffin recipe as i thought i could cheer up my sister with them :) i couldnt find any in the chocolate and zucchini cook book
I lovemake strawberries macerated with balsamic vinegar and black pepper. The vinegar and the pepper really intensify the flavor beautifully.
I was just looking at different recipes for sables and then saw your timely post. Can't wait to try them!
Posted by Robin on November 12, 2007 5:11 AMPepper cookies?!! Wow, I've got to try that. Not a big fan of hazelnuts, maybe I'll try these with cashews instead?
Posted by Kaykat on November 12, 2007 8:20 AMi love the sound of this, and even more so, love imagining a couple of these with a strong pick-me-up afternoon cup of coffee.
Posted by Sarah on November 12, 2007 8:08 PMClotilde: I loved the writing in this post. Your poetic yet funny sensibility is what keeps me reading C&Z. You manage a delicate balance between sensitive, rich, and even irreverant prose without being overwraught. The regular dose of great writing found here is one of my simple pleasures that makes me feel I'm not alone, and also provides a fresh perspective to view the world.
Posted by k on November 13, 2007 6:14 PMHazelnut and pepper sounds like a great combination. I've got a whole lot of hazelnuts just waiting to be used.
The nut chopping technique you talked about is the same one my mum taught me as a kid! Works great doesn't it?
Posted by Cheyanne on November 13, 2007 7:23 PMMay I second the post by k regarding your writing, Clotilde? Your unique style makes C & Z a delightful treat for foodies or non-foodies alike. It is quite refreshing especially when my schedule often requires that I must only enjoy the recipes vicariously. At least, if I don't have time to follow through with the preparation, the details relayed so charmingly makes me smile. Please - write on!
Posted by Scottie Miller on November 13, 2007 11:46 PMPeppery cookies, good to spice up a cold day. Do you know this spice boutique called Goumanyat in the third? I just discovered it the other week, their spice racks are amazing.
Posted by From Paris With Love on November 14, 2007 5:17 PMMiam, miam, miam.. I loved these cookies, perfect with milk! I am planning to come to paris to live (for at this point an undetermined period of time!) next may, and have been hungrily devouring your blogs! merci!
Posted by marie on November 15, 2007 11:01 AMPepper in cookies makes perfect sense to me (I grew up in a city with good-sized German and Swedish communities, so pfeffernusse and peparkakor were part of my childhood), but I would never have thought of combining it with hazelnuts and rosewater. Can't wait to try it!
Posted by Rachel on November 15, 2007 1:18 PMGreat! You have definitely made the recipe more interesting!
Posted by inköpssamverkan on November 15, 2007 1:33 PMHaha! Love the tip about "chopping" hazlenuts. I've had the same problem when I tried to crush peppermints for a garnish to peppermint brownies. I ended up setting up cutting boards as a barrier to surround my chopping - LOL. Your method sounds a lot easier!
Posted by sugarlaw on November 15, 2007 8:14 PMI've been chopping nuts like that for a while...and it is so un-messy!
Posted by Nabeela on November 15, 2007 10:44 PMPâte à tarte, biscuits, j'adhère à toutes ses recettes...et aux tiennes aussi!Bonne soirée.
Posted by Flo Bretzel on November 15, 2007 10:47 PMit never occured to me that a dash of pepper could exalt the flavor of hazelnuts...will try this, thanks clotilde
Posted by Cara on November 16, 2007 6:12 PMI will definitely try these for the holidays. I, too, am bored with cinnamon. I don't have anything against it. It is just overused. I often use allspice, which I risk getting myself bored with because I like it so much, in both sweet and savory food or cardamon instead. After living in Scandinavia for a time as a child, I have fond memories of cardamon scented baked goods. I particularly remember kardamoma boller, or cardamon buns-- just slightly sweet, soft yeast buns with coarsely ground cardamon in them. Sometimes they were filled with vanilla cream and sometimes not. I still sometimes make these in winter to remind me of Scandinavian pastry shops.
I also like that this blog is bilingual--at least sometimes. It is a nice touch. I love to read French and get too much English in my life, although my English is more literate than my French-- hence my choice of language for the blog.
And thank you Christy for reminding readers that there IS good food to be had here between the coasts. After all, the Whole Foods chain which has good and bad aspects but has definitely increased access to gourmet food in cities across the country originated in Austin, which is arguably BOTH the MIdwest and the South. The south Midwest? Oh, well, I am from the Great Lakes (which I refuse to refer to as the "third coast." What do I know about TExas geography.
Posted by Dory on November 18, 2007 6:32 AMDory
Beautiful - both the recipe and the advice for chopping nuts without adding nuts to the kitchen floor!
Posted by Astra Libris on November 20, 2007 11:09 PMPepper is such a fabulous addition to cookies... Has anyone tried black pepper oatmeal cookies?
- Astra Libris
Clotilde, would you use whole-wheat pastry flour or a mixture of whole wheat/white flour in this recipe, perhaps, if you were still baking in US?
Je suis ravie de découvrir la VF de votre blog. Quant à "la chef" j'ai entendu Sarko dire "la ministre" à la télé la semaine dernière.
Posted by Mary in MN on December 3, 2007 7:44 PMI gave these a try today, but substituted some pistachios that I had lying around and pink peppercorns that I bought on a whim and have been dying to use. Delicious! Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by sarah on March 9, 2008 3:46 AMOh man. I'm really crazy about hazelnuts, pepper, rose water, and cookies, (honestly, these are some of my very favorite things,) but I've never thought of combining the four. I'm so excited to try this.
Posted by Lillian on July 17, 2008 6:02 PM