These Chocolate Dipped Sweet and Salty Butter Cookies are one of the simplest cookies to be found. However, they are addictive in their simplicity.
Normally, I roll the cookie dough into logs and then cut them about ¼ inch thick. After cutting, I dip the tops in coarse sanding sugar, then pop them into the oven. The sugar adds a nice crunch, and they glisten on a tray. However, these can also be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters. I have done it both ways, depending upon my needs. It is easiest to roll between two pieces of waxed paper.
Recently, I glazed these cookies in chocolate then sprinkled them with a mixture of sanding sugar and sea salt. Truly does bring them to another level. The amount of salt is determined by taste and the salt you use, which is why I told you which one I used. I have given you measurements for the sugar and salt, but I encourage you to add the salt a little at a time and taste as you go. You may prefer more or less and there is no right or wrong. With these cookies, you taste the cookie and the aftertaste is the salt, which is what I prefer.
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However you decide to make them, they will be a great addition to any cookie collection.
Butter Cookies
1 ½ sticks butter, softened ( 12 tablespoons, 170 grams or 6 ounces)
½ cup sugar (100 grams or 3 ½ ounces)
1 egg yolks
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 ½ teaspoon Tahitian vanilla. if possible, otherwise pure vanilla
1 ⅞ cups all purpose flour (2 cups less 2 tablespoons, 260 grams or 9 ¼ ounces)
⅛ teaspoon salt
Cream butter and sugar until very light. Add the egg yolk, and beat until completely combined. Add extracts, beating well. Add flour and salt all at once. Mix until it comes together.
Roll out between waxed paper to ¼ inch thick. Cut as desired.
Alternately, divide the dough in half (290 grams or 10 ounces each roll). Roll each half into a 10 inch log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. The logs may be frozen, thawed and sliced as needed.
Slice about ¼ inch thick.
Bake for 8 minutes, turn the tray and bake for 6 to7 more minutes or until lightly browned around edges.
Yields: About 70 cookies from the logs.
Quick Tempering Chocolate
4 ounces chocolate (114 grams)
1 tablespoons Crisco
½ cup Sanding sugar
1 teaspoon Sea Salt (I used Baleine Sel de Mer Le sel des Grande Espaces), more or less to taste
Melt chocolate and Crisco together either in the microwave at half power or in a double boiler.Mix together completely.
Mix about ½ cup sanding sugar with sea salt to taste. Be careful not to over salt. You want to be able to taste the salt, but the sugar should be predominant.
Dip the top of the cookies into the chocolate. Sprinkle with the sugar/salt mixture.
Yield: If rolling and slicing, about 70 cookies. If cutting with a cookie cutter, it depends upon the size of the cutter.
Storage: After the chocolate is firmly set, the cookies may be stored with paper between the layers in an airtight container for 7 to 10 days.
Make Ahead: The logs may be frozen, well wrapped for several months. Thaw in the fridge and slice and bake as above.
Jessica Richman says
This recipe sounds awesome—I love salty/sweet cookies! One question: does the chocolate harden like a glaze, or remain soft? Many thanks.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Jessica, The glaze hardens. They can be stacked with paper between the layers after it is set.
barb says
Thanks for the help with the chocolate; now what is sanding sugar. Where can I find it?
hfletcher says
Sanding sugar is a coarse sugar that won't melt. It is used to top cookies and pastries. In St. Louis, it can be found at Kitchen Conservatory. I used clear, but it also comes in colors.
If you aren't in St. Louis, look for it on the internet or your local kitchen equipment store that sells ingredients.
Barb Peterson says
What form and type of chocolate did you use for these cookies?
Loving your cookbook and Tart recipe. I'm going to make it for my gourmet dinner group in Dec Barb
hfletcher says
Hi Barb: When I had the bakery, Guittard was my main chocolate......58 to 62%. I used their semisweet French Vanilla chocolate as my main chocolate. However, I dealt with Guittard directly buying a minimum of 500 pounds at a time so I could keep the price down by to having to deal with a middle man. At the restaurant, I presently use Callebaut semisweet callets and white chocolate callets. The callets are in the form of chips although they are not chocolate chips per se. If you use them in chocolate chip cookies, they stay melted and get all over your fingers. For the Sweet and Salty Butter Cookies, any 58 to 62% chocolate can be used. In fact, chocolate chips can be used.
So glad you enjoy the book.
Hilda says
Helen: These looked so yummy we made a batch yesterday at Kitchen Conservatory. Totally delicious! We put them out for customers to enjoy and they're raving about them, so I shared the recipe. More Helen groupies are born! One request for when you have spare time(!), could you make a "printer-friendly" option for printing the recipes so your loyal fans could print them out without having to delete all the photos? Thanks for considering!
hfletcher says
Hi Hilda: So glad you like the cookies. To your point about printing out the recipes, and for others who are having the same problem, go to the end of any recipe you want a copy of. There is a print button at the end. Click on that and it will take you to a page where you can print, email, or save as a PDF. It also allows you to delete all the photos so you only have the written recipe.
Hope this helps.