Strawberry-Kissed Walnut Sablés

DESCRIPTION

“My goal for this batch of cookies was to bridge the transition weeks as the weather grew colder. Nutmeg and toasted walnuts add warmth, while drops of strawberry jam brighten each sablé and remind one of sunny afternoons.” – Cristina Sciarra, blogger behind The Roaming Kitchen

Total Time
3 Hrs
Serves
25
Serving Size
2 cookies
Course
Desserts

Total Time

Prep Time
30 Mins
Cook Time
2 Hrs, 30 Mins
Total Time
3 Hrs

Nutrition

Calories
160 cal
Total Fat
10 g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2 g
Cholesterol
35 mg
Sodium
50 mg
Carbohydrates
17 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Protein
2 g

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup golden (or light brown) sugar
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cups California walnuts
  • 1/2 cup strawberry jam (although fig or pear would also work)

Preparation

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the walnuts on top. Bake them for 10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Turn off the oven, remove the walnuts, and allow them to cool. Once cool, use the heel of a mug (or a mortar and pestle or food processor) to crush them into crumbly bits.
  2. If you have a fancy-pants stand mixer, fantastic: fit it with the paddle attachment. If not, a hand-held mixer with beater attachments works just fine. Put the softened butter in a large bowl and beat on medium speed until the butter is a bit whipped, about 1 minute.
  3. Add all three sugars, the salt, and the nutmeg. Continue mixing until everything looks creamy and incorporated, about 3 more minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the egg yolks, mixing to combine.
  4. Turn off the mixer and add the flour. Start the mixer again on the very lowest setting to avoid a flour flurry all over your countertops. Mix until the flour is just combined, then fold in the walnut crumbles and mix again until just combined.
  5. Scoop out half the dough and lay it on some plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap to help you, roll the dough into a log about 10 inches long. Repeat this process with the second half of the dough. Place both logs into the refrigerator and let them chill for no less than 2 hours. (These logs will also remain happily in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for a couple of months.)
  6. When the logs are well-chilled, heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Keep the baking sheets off of the oven — you want the cookies to be as cool as possible before baking.
  7. Cut the log into 1/3-inch slices. (Note: I am not an expert cookie slicer. As a result, my sablés oscillated in thickness a bit. It’s fine if yours do, too.) Lay each cookie on a baking sheet, making sure to leave a little space between them.
  8. Scoop about 1/4 cup of jam into a plastic baggie. Seal the top, then cut a small hole into one of the bottom corners. Dollop a small circle of jam into the center of each cookie.
  9. Move the baking sheets to the oven. Bake the sablés about 20 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn golden. Let the sablés cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. These cookies taste better a few hours out of the oven.