I can't remember where I first heard about them, but cookbook author Dorie Greenspan has a recipe for these chocolate chip-studded chocolate sable cookies, and let me tell you: they are something. They are so named because a friend of hers once said "in our house, we call them World Peace Cookies, because we're convinced that a daily dose of the cookies is all that's needed to ensure planetary peace and happiness." I couldn't agree more.
Nearly two years ago I wrote about my ongoing quest for a chocolate cookie to satisfy my father's insatiable sweet tooth, and while these fit the bill in a very different way than most, they definitely do satisfy. A sable cookie, much like shortbread, is a bit drier and has a sandy texture (sable literally means sand, en francais). While it doesn't have that ooey-gooey texture that I'm usually after in my cookies, they are still quite soft despite their dryness. Something about that makes them seem more sophisticated than your average super chocolatey cookie. Plus, the best part is the satisfying hit of salt, which intensifies the flavor in an oh-so-amazing-and totally-addictive way. So whip up a batch (they're quite quick), but remember that they do need time to set up in the fridge or freezer, so they're not ideal as a last-minute cookie. However, they are a perfect prep-ahead cookie (see note at the bottom).
