A buttery shortbread, sweet and salty, with a fantastic melt-in-your-mouth texture and a flavor you weren't expecting. These unique shortbread cookies make great appetizers and snacks. They can also be frozen before baking.
This is a twist on classic sablés (the French take on shortbread) that incorporates olive oil, black olives, cornstarch and hard-boiled egg yolk. Yes, it's already boiled.
This recipe stands out because of the ingredients, not the technique. And it hails from Pierre Hermè, pastry chef extraordinaire.
And with big names come even bigger expectations. I don't expect anything less than an unbelievably good olive sablé recipe from the master himself.
They are crumbly, sweet and salty, and ridiculously good if you ask me. The texture alone will put Proust's Madeleine to shame. But that's me.
I have a feeling the opinions will be divided like the Red Sea because this is a unique recipe. They're more in sync with these sesame cookies than with a sweet shortbread cookie.
Variations
And though these are clearly olive shortbread cookies, the most interesting part is the cookie dough itself. It's a great canvas.
- Citrus: add lemon or orange zest to the dough, or a mix like lemon-lime.
- Nuts: instead of olives, add chopped walnuts or almonds.
- Sesame seeds: I love the idea of using them instead of olives.
- I mix the dough in a bowl with a wooden spoon or spatula like I always do with shortbread. But you can use an electric mixer as long as you don't overmix it.
- Substitute potato starch for the cornstarch if that's what you have available.
- Make in advance: the dough needs a few hours in the fridge to firm up enough to be cut, so it can be made a few days in advance or frozen. Just transfer the day before to the fridge.
Buttery dough
It needs to rest and chill before the cookies are cut. I recommend dividing the dough into 3 parts for easier handling and cutting.
Two options
You can form logs, wrap them in plastic and chill them until firm enough to slice the cookies.
Or flatten the dough into discs, wrap them in plastic and chill them until firm enough to roll and cut with a cookie cutter. Just like sugar cookies.
Bake
Line the baking tray or cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake as instructed. They will color slightly but not a lot.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Do a test run. I always recommend baking two or three cookies to find your sweet spot regarding baking time and texture. Check the time to ensure you don't over or underbake them. Also, see how much they expand and adjust accordingly if needed so they don't touch during baking.
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Olive Shortbread (sweet and salty)
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Ingredients
- 1 large hard-boiled egg yolk, use the white for something else
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 15 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup light olive oil
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ cup about 2 ½ oz/ 70g pitted black olives, well-drained and chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or fleur de sel, optional but good
Instructions
- Sift the flour and cornstarch into a large bowl.
- Grate the hard-boiled yolk (or mash very well) and reserve.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until it's soft and creamy. Beat in the olive oil, followed by the grated yolk.
- Blend in the confectioners' sugar, reduce the speed to low, and add the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough *just* comes together, then stir in the chopped olives. You'll have a very soft, very pliable dough.
- Turn the dough onto a work surface and divide it into thirds. Shape each piece into a log about 1 ½ inches in diameter or flatten it into discs like pie dough. Wrap the dough pieces in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours. If you're in a hurry, you can freeze the logs for about an hour.
- When you're ready to bake the sables, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Working with one log or disc at a time, slice the cookies about ¼ inch thick and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. If they break, press them slightly together with your fingers. You can also roll and cut them with a round cookie cutter and transfer them to the prepared pan with a spatula.
- Bake the sables for about 15 minutes, one sheet at a time, rotating it at half-time. When done, they may turn golden around the edges, but you don't want them to brown. The cookies are firm but not colored.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough, using a cool baking sheet each time.
- Store in airtight tins.
ZeeKhana Khazana says
I have seen this for the very first time. It looks pretty impressive. I am agree with the concept of substituting ingredients. I will prepare such olive using Indian Food Recepies and share with friends.
Joan Price says
I would never have thought to try something like this, but it looks so good! I've been cooking with different olive types and trying out different oil recipes. Maybe I'll put baking with them next on the list!
Rose says
I do like traditional sables, but with the olives they were something very special. I will definitely make this recipe again.
Mary Hirsch says
Your meanderings (meaning, your writing) in your Posts just keeps getting better and better. Just enjoyed reading the first paragraph. Didn't like David's seaweed sébles but loved these. And, you're right, just like the loaf cake, we can go all different ways with this mixture. It's that good. But, of course, you know me, I have to wait until the rest of you more creative adventurers give me suggestions. The only improvements/changes I had in mind, per Mardi are oilier olives and sea salt topping. So, thank you for yours. I think you sliced yours bigger than I did and I love the looks of yours. Like you, I cannot wait to make these again.
heidi says
Great post!! I loved your photo of the cookies before they were baked. As per my post, I cannot figure out how to make the darn things round when shaping them and your photo gave a great tip. Also, your idea of not going into a store while watching your calories is a great one. I need to get on that bus!
alfews says
These looks so good!! Great pictures! I like the substitute of cornstarch for potato starch.
mireia badia says
This looks delicious, as I was reading your blog I needed a bite, YUUUM!
Cocoa and Lavender says
THese do look ridiculously good. At first I don't know if they were a dessert or an appetizer, and now I think I could use them either way! ~ David
mividaenundulce says
Not so hard to make, right? My son and I are the only ones at home that enjoy eating olives, so this could be just for both of us.
ahu says
Pierre Herme is the man. love it.
Mardi Michels says
Hey - a stand mixer is one bowl too 😉 Your cookies look great and your dough is perfect- I am still trying to figure out what I did wrong with mine. I still preferred the seaweed sablés we made earlier though...
Medeja says
Lovely shortbread! I think with a glass of white wine would taste just perfect 🙂