Aries Chocolate Constellation Sablés

March 31, 2012

!

This little food blog is three years old! I know that it's technically called a Blogoversary, but I think "birthday" sounds much more festive, and I rarely go with the technical terms of anything.

My blog is a confident Aries. I'm a detail oriented Virgo (as proof, I painstakingly picked out only the perfect, unbroken stars to make these cookies). We have an excellent rapport, Aries and I.

In true Aries fashion, this blog has gently rammed me out of my warm, cosy, happy comfort zone and opened up a whole new chapter in my life. But I make sure to keep things focused + down to Earth. (I'm not quite ready to tackle someone's wedding cake!) It's a perfect mix of determined, headstrong drive, tempered with my own disaster-fearing, worst case scenario-imagining restraint. :-)




To mark the occasion, I decided to make cookies instead of a cake. March was a huge birthday month, and I'm so over cake...at least for now. But who says cookies can't have just as much fun as an over-rated layer (slightly askew) cake?

Basically these are dark chocolate sablés. Sablés are rich crumbly cookies that quite literally melt in your mouth like sweet sandy butter. If you're feeling lazy, feel free to skip the decorations (and labor intensive star-separating!). They may not be cover-cookie material, but the taste is unforgettable. For all the soft, chewy cookie lovers out there (like me), please don't write off this recipe. Whilst on the crisp side, the cookies are savagely intense in their chocolateness.

Also to everyone, new and old, who has followed me on this baking/blogging journey, Thank you! xo



Aries Chocolate Constellation Sablés (cookie recipe adapted from thekitchn) Print

ingredients
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (1 ounce) natural unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli's cocoa)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (4 ounces, or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup (4 1/2 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Edible star decorations (optional)

method
In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or any large mixing bowl if you're using a hand-held), beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium-high speed until lightened (about 3-5 minutes).
Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until the dough just starts to come together.
Wrap the dough up tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. [Note: If you worked fast enough, and the dough is still cold enough to roll out, you can skip the chilling time.]
Preheat the oven to 350 F. and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 6x7-inch rectangle (about 1/2-inch thick). Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles. [Note: If you want to decorate the cookies with constellations, I wouldn't use anything smaller than 3-inches.] Feel free to use any shape that you want!
Place the cut-out cookies onto the prepared sheets. If you're decorating with stars, gently press each star into the dough before baking. [Note: Don't press too hard, or the cookies will bake over the decorations. Just be sure they're securely in the dough.]
Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the centers are just beginning to firm.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the sheets for about 3 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack.

Makes about 8 medium 3-inch cookies, or 20 small 1-inch cookies.

22 comments:

  1. Oh, pretty! i really love the idea. I bet they taste great too.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. Happy birthday to your lovely blog. I've been happy to follow you ever since I discovered it, as it was literally the inspiration for me to start my own. I love your Aries cookies!

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  3. It has been very "sweet" meeting you via Key Ingredient. I have watched your photography become better and better...and I'm so impressed with all the beautiful recipes that you share with us. Congratulations!

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  4. funny, i am a virgo (also), and my husband is an aries! and we work well together, surprisingly!

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  5. Happy Blog Birthday Valerie!
    I love this selection for the birthday treat ~ especially the astrological constellation ~ so cute! Thanks for sharing so many wonderful ideas and recipes with us. Congratulations!

    Kristin

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  6. Very cute idea with the stars! And Congratulations on your 3 years!

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  7. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Une Gamine dans la Cuisine. Happy Birthday to you.

    ...on a computer, no one knows that you can't sing! :-)

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  8. Happy birthday to your blog from a fellow detail-oriented virgo! :) Absolutely beautiful sablés. The intricacy of the constellation design is remarkable!

    Here is to many more birthdays for your blog. I truly enjoy reading it!

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  9. Aww, these are so adorable! I'm an Aries, so naturally I was drawn to them!

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  10. happy birthday dear blog! keep up the amazing recipes and photos!

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  11. Such a cute way to celebrate your blog's anniversary, Valerie!
    Congratulations!

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  12. yay, happy birthday to your blog!! it is definitely doing amazing work :) these are such an adorable way to celebrate, and i'm sure the cookies are so excited to be the ones to get out and celebrate a birthday!

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  13. Happy Birthday, Valerie!!! :-) These are so pretty and delicate. :-)

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  14. Happy belated blog Birthday! :) Looking forward to seeing what you create in your 4th year!

    These cookies are fantastic. So pretty!

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  15. congratulations! wow I can't belive that you have been posting great recipes for three years, this cake is just perfect for the ocasion, I love your idea of the decoration

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  16. what amazing recipes! And so glad to see you're a top food blogger on Hello Cotton. Congrats!

    This looks divine, and so good that I actually wanted to share in return...

    ok a guilty ramp up.... Filthy Brownies!

    Cookie dough, rolos (add salt to make it like salted caramel), brownie mix. Layered. Baked. Served warm.

    The recipe is here http://www.coffeetoastandlondon.com/2012/04/filthy-brownies.html and is a certain winner!

    Laura x

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  17. Laura, Those brownies sound wonderful! I ♥ rolos. :D Thanks for sharing.

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  18. I think this is a wonderfully creative idea. Happy third birthday! I've not been here long, but I can see how you made it to this point in your blogging career. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  19. Congratulations on 3 years! Your detail-oriented tendencies paid off - those cookies are perfect! :)

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  20. as an aries myself, i really like the looks of these! happy blog birthday--i always love your posts and pictures!

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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