Pierre Hermé's Olive Sablés

Pierre Hermé is a french Pastry Chef who is famous for his macaroons. He often makes use of savory ingredients in his desserts: traces of balsamic vinegar, Parmesan, or olives in his cakes and layered dessert cremes. He was the youngest person ever to be named France's Pastry Chef of the Year.
When I read his recipes for olive sables it intrigued me that he used Black Olives and Olive Oil in his recipe. When you bite in this cookie, the first taste you will get will be sweet but then comes the salty olives followed by the base flavor of olive oil. The texture of this cookie is crisp with an light crumbly snap. They are perfect with a glass of wine or champaign or with a cocktail.

Pierre Hermé's Olive Sablés

makes 60

The dough should chill for at least several hours, better overnight and you should use an oil-cured, meaty and chewy olive, canned black olives won't work in this recipe. 

1 large hard-boiled egg, white discarded

2 1/4 cups (300 g) all purpose flour

6 Tbsp (45 g) Potato Starch (I used corn starch)

15 Tbsp unsalted butter ( 1 stick + 7 Tbsp) (215 g), at room temperature

1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil (a fruity olive oil is best)

1 cup ( 100 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 1/2 oz (about 1/2 cup/ 70g) pitted black olives, preferably oil-cured, chopped

1 teasp / 5 g fleur de sel (optional) ( I used a good pinch)

Grate the hard-boiled yolk onto a piece of wax-paper. Put the flour and potato starch in a strainer set over a large bowl and sift into the bowl, whisk to thoroughly blend.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer 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 out onto a work surface, divide it into thirds, and shape each piece into a log about 1 1/2 inches (3,5 cm) in diameter. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least several hours. If you're in a hurry, you can freeze the logs for an hour or so.

When you're ready to bake the sables, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F/ 160 C. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Working with 1 log at a time, slice the cookies 1/4 inch (0,5 cm) thick and arrange them on the baking sheet. (When they break, just press them slightly together with your fingers) - you want to bake these one sheet at a time.

Bake the sables for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet at the midway mark, or until the cookies are firm but not colored. They may turn golden around the edges, but you don't want them to brown. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool, and repeat with the remaining logs of dough, making sure to use a cook baking sheet each time.

Storing

The logs can be frozen for up to 2 months, there's no need to defrost before slicing and baking.