Sable doughs are a bit like shortbread, but with granulated sugar providing a delightfully sandy texture. They can be flavored with anything from chocolate to matcha tea with good results. My version incorporates enough sesame seeds to create something that is almost a cross between a cookie and those sesame sticks that you ate a pound of at Aunt Peg’s Superbowl party.
I’m generally cautious about using whole wheat flour in desserts, reserving it for cases where the heartier flavor enhances the other ingredients. With sesame and orange zest, it is a natural fit.
If you have raw sesame seeds, toast them in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and fragrant. Don’t walk away for long, they can get burned and bitter in a heartbeat.
Serve these cookies with tea and a bar of good bittersweet chocolate for a real treat.
Sesame-Orange Sable Cookies
Yields about 48 small cookies / 15 minutes active, 3 hour rest, 20 minutes baking
- 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) room temperature butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (use half as much for Kosher salt or any fine grained salt)
- ¾ cup toasted sesame seeds (white, black or a mixture)
- ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- zest of 1 orange or 2 mandarin oranges
- With a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and salt at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and mix for 30 more seconds.
- Whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and orange zest. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue beating until it forms a dough, about 1 minute.
- Turn the dough out onto a light floured board and knead for a moment to form a cohesive ball. Divide into two pieces. Roll each piece into a cylinder about 8“ long. Be sure the dough is sticking together well; if not, roll it a bit more firmly. Wrap the cylinders tightly in plastic wrap, firmly roll on the counter a couple of times, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Unwrap the dough. Using a sharp knife, slice each cylinder into generous ¼” cookies. Place the cookies on the baking sheets, leaving 1” between each cookie. Bake for 14-16 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a rack, cool, and serve.
