Chocolate-Rye Sablés
Gently sweetened, whole-grain "icebox" cookies for everyday snacking.
Sablés are a kind of shortbread cookie (or biscuit), originally found in France. In particular, the town of Sablé-sur-Sarthe claims to have lent its name to this cookie, reportedly having been invented there in 1670. Meaning “sandy” in French, sablés can have a slightly grainy texture.
You can make sablés easily with just a few ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen: flour, butter, sugar and sometimes an egg yolk or an entire egg. These simple cookies taste good on their own, or you can add additional ingredients, such as nuts, chocolate or lemon zest. In Switzerland, sablés of all kinds are found throughout the year, but especially during the Christmas holiday season.
On my website, Cuisine Helvetica, you’ll find a recipe for sablés with finely chopped Risoletto, a Swiss candy bar. It reminds me of the 100 Grand candy bar in the US.
RECIPE: Risoletto Sablés
One of the most famous kinds of sablé biscuits in Switzerland would undeniably be the Milanais (Mailänderli in German). Unlike a classic sablé, they have a bright yellow, shiny surface. It’s created by brushing a beaten egg yolk on the dough before baking. They’re one of the most popular Swiss Christmas cookies.
RECIPE: Milanais (Mailänderli)
For my Chocolate-Rye Sablés (recipe below for paid subscribers), I’m using a whole grain rye flour that’s high in fiber to add some extra sandiness to these cookies.
The recipe only calls for seven ingredients. I don’t add a lot of sugar, as the dark chocolate brings some added sweetness. Also, I use the “icebox” technique to make these cookies. The dough is shaped into a log and then refrigerated. When it’s chilled, they’re ready for slicing and baking.
Sentier des Narcisses
This week, I took my Chocolate-Rye Sablés along as a snack for a hike through the narcisses (narcissus) above Vevey. These mini-daffodils bloom for a short time, and after 12 years of living in Switzerland, I finally got to see them in person. There’s even a special website indicating when and where to find these flowers during the season.
The Sentier des Narcisses (narcissus trail), starting from Les Pléiades, passes by hillsides of these striking white wildflowers in the springtime. By car, you can begin the hike from Le restaurant 1209. Or, you can do what I did and take the train to the Les Pléiades station and start the approximately 5-km loop from there. Either way, as you walk, follow the signs for the “Circuit de Prantin.”
Restaurant de La Châ is located along the trail, about a 20-minute walk from the Les Pléiades train station. I stopped there for a lunchtime rösti with goat cheese and a glass of Chasselas from nearby Chardonne. Please note: This restaurant only accepts cash or payment via Twint.
This is not the only narcissus trail you can take above Montreux and Vevey. You can choose from several starting points, such as Glion, Haut-de-Caux and Les Avants. Depending on the elevation of the fields, the season typically runs from around late-April to early June.
I’ve nicknamed my recipe this week as “Hiking Cookies.” They’re an easy snack to take along for picnics or long walks.
Thanks, as always, for reading my newsletter.
Best wishes, and happy baking,
Heddi
Recipe: Chocolate-Rye Sablés
Prep: 15-20 mins. (plus 1-2 hours for the dough to chill)
Bake: 10-12 mins.
Makes approx. 36 biscuits
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