If Wacky and Wonderful can be friends, together they beautifully describe this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Sablés aux Olives Noires. Sablés are exquisite but crumbly, classic French cookies. More a shortbread than a Toll House.

 

Mise en Place for this week's FFWD recipe choice.

Mise en Place for this week’s FFWD recipe choice.

 

What is special about these sablés is they were created by Pierre Hermé, France’s acknowledged pastry king, with a few twists and turns from Dorie, of course. Think potato starch, oily black olives and the yolk of a large hard-boiled egg!  What’s up with that?

I’ve learned not to doubt Dorie so when she suggested this cocktail nibble was either ‘a sweet cookie with a spot of savoriness or a savory cookie with a touch of sweetness’, I put on my apron. Once the ingredients were gathered (the potato starch was a problem for some) and the egg, boiled, these little slice-and-bakes were simply made.

 

Pastry logs, ready for the Big Chill

Pastry logs, ready for the Big Chill

 

Following Dorie’s directions and after making the dough, I made three pastry logs, wrapped them in plastic and chilled overnight. The next day I sliced two logs, making 1/4” cookies, and baked them for 16 minutes at 325 degrees. Brown the edges not the entire cookie. I wrapped the extra log in foil for the freezer.

 

Oven-ready

Ready to bake

 

Friends were hosting a Welcome Home wine-and-nibbles party last night, providing me with a perfect  and discriminating tasting panel for this week’s recipe choice. I wasn’t surprised to note that these delightful sablés passed muster.

 

Baked and TasteTested

Baked and Taste-Tested

 

My move to Aspen, I arrived last Monday, is now history. Right now I’m a bit altitude-weary, my condo is, let’s just say, disheveled and, yes, it’s snowed once or twice. However, I cannot stop smiling.

 

Nibbles

Nibbles

and Wine

and Wine

 

To make these clever cocktail nibbles, go here.  To see what my colleagues created this week with potato starch and an egg yolk, go to our French Fridays with Dorie link.