B and I had a typical Friday evening last night, relaxing on the couch and me working on something wedding-related. My mom met me for lunch yesterday and loaned me her laptop and a paper cutter so I could finish the Save the Date cards this weekend. At first, I started the project and thought "What the hell am I doing?! How is something this small and insignificant taking this much time and energy?" All 100 cards had to be color printed on a small printer, then the top and bottom of each card had to be cut off so the color looked like it went to the edges, each envelope obviously gets two labels, a stamp, etc.
However, I wasn't far into it before I realized that I actually really liked the process. I like knowing that so much care and attention will go into what people will receive in the mail. Instead of all the cards coming from a printing house and being sent out, the card that will hopefully be magnetized to refrigerators across the country was made with care and attention. M's wonderful creativity and design, my cutting and assembly, etc. And I'm sure no one else would ever know or care about the difference, but to me, it was a nice difference.
Today B has to work and I'm headed to the museum for a few hours to help out with the annual dinosaur holiday party. But if you're lucky enough to not be working, maybe you should fill your Saturday with some chocolate cookies!!
Double Chocolate Sable Cookies
Sable in French means "sandy" — these are a classic French cookie, made out of crumbly chocolate shortbread. To keep them nice and sandy, be extra careful not to over mix the dough. The hint of salt brightens the flavor and underlines the chocolate. For a special holiday treat, sandwich two of these together with a small scoop of peppermint ice cream.
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, frozen for 10 minutes
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 1/4 ounces (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt.
Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until just combined. Mix in the yolk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and beat lightly together until just combined but still crumbly. Fold in grated chocolate with a spatula. Bring the dough together by lightly squeezing in your hands; but don't knead or overwork, as the secret to these cookies is their delicate, sandy texture.
Divide the dough in half. Lay half the dough on a long sheet of waxed paper and shape into a log along the width of the waxed paper, leaving some space at each end. Pull the paper over the top of the log. Grip the edge of the top piece of paper, and use a straight, firm edge, like a ruler or the edge of a pan, to press gently against the edge of the dough where the papers come together to create a solid, firm round log. Repeat with remaining dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (To keep logs round store inside an empty paper towel roll.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds with a sharp, thin knife. Divide rounds onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Bake until cookies smell fragrant with a full cocoa aroma and set on the outside, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans, about 5 minutes.
Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely. Serve.
Busy baker's tips: Dough can be made and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Baked cookies can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and frozen for up to 2 weeks.
Cook's note: For super uniform cookies, place each sliced disk of dough in a muffin tin and bake. The cookies will be chewier, less sandy this way.
2 comments:
Congrats on getting those cards done! I know they've been hanging over your head. I totally understand what you mean about enjoying taking the time to DIY. I felt the same way with our wedding. Lots of people questioned the time and effort I put into doing a lot of things myself, but I actually enjoyed and found it 100% worthwhile. Hope you keep having fun with it!
The save-the-dates look great! I know exactly what you mean regarding the process. Afterall, "the love is in the details!" I learned that from Oprah, and even though she has many, many people taking care of those those details for her, I feel it is a universal truth that makes life feel richer and full of love. I can't wait to see one in person! The problem, like you mentioned, is sometimes the amount of time it takes. But, I believe it's necessary for us to sit down and focus on one thing for an extended period of time(that isn't work) and forget all of the other thoughts fluttering around telling us what else has to be done. Thanks for the cookie recipes! I love the pictures!
xoxo, V
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