i have been eying these sables for a couple of weeks now. i set out the butter for them last weekend, but never got to it, put it back in the refrigerator and that was that. last saturday was a very busy day–i did much shopping and when i shop, i shop with an eye for sales. it takes all day. sunday we had dinner guests and i made blueberry frozen yogurt that never got posted because we devoured it before i could take any pictures. the work week leaves me with little to no motivation. i plan for my weekends and the ideal weekend for me is spent at home puttering around the house–cleaning, cooking, baking, snacking, reading, napping (ah, napping), and being as domestic as possible. some people aspire to climb the corporate ladder, i aspire to stay at home. i dream of aprons and kitchen appliances. let me just add that i am not some sort of backwards anti-feminist (and sorry if you are. really). i minored in women’s studies in college and i read feminist literature for leisure. essentially i believe in choices and opportunity. given many of both (though not all, we’re not there just yet kids…but that’s another blog for another time) i still choose domesticity.
personal politics aside, i made ample time for a domestic weekend, and i am so, so happy i did. sean and i picked up some potted herbs from trader joes–an “italian” trio and a “tea time” trio, which included oregano, thyme, and rosemary, and lemon balm, lemon verbana and pineapple mint…respectively. we went hunting for herbs at a couple of different nursery’s and even lowe’s, but the selections were dismal. we were late on the herb planting, but that is in part because i killed all the herbs we bought earlier this year when all the garden centers had plentiful supplies. luckily trader joe’s had a pretty good deal and much happier looking plants than anywhere else in town.
i used dorie greenspan’s recipe (surprise!) for sables from baking: from my home to yours, pages 131-133. i rubbed some lemon balm into the sugar and i swear it smelled just like lemon heads. unfortunately the lemon balm flavor didn’t come through that well, but they are still delightful and if you breath in through your nose as the cookie melts on your tongue you will get a pleasant, lemony herbal tone. they are buttery, just salty enough and beautifully sandy. and there ain’t nothin wrong with sweet butter and salt.
i didn’t coat the logs in decorative sugar like the recipe suggests because i didn’t have any, but they are still darn good. i am going to add this to my cookie repertoire since i can imagine numerous flavor combinations. plus they are just as god the next day as they are the first which means they will be a good holiday cookie.
Kevin
Those lemon balm sables look and sound really good!
Emiline
I want to be able to stay home and do whatever the hell I want. That’s my dream job.
The sables sound good. I’ve never had lemon balm before. That baking book is like the bible of baking. I think everyone has it.
Tartelette
I can’t stop smelling my lemon balm plant and rubbing my fingers with the leaves. I am sure the sables were fantastic!
Aran
these look amazing cindy! wow…!
Bonbon Oiseau
these look beautiful! love love love lemon balm anything…
Jen (Modern Beet)
those sound so delicious… I have lemon verbena in my garden — I wonder if I could use that instead of the lemon balm?
and about the domesticity thing, it’s interesting to hear you talk about it. I’m a software engineer by day, and a cook/domesticity-lover by night(I especially love pickling:) )– for me, cooking provides a much needed respite from intensely focused daytime work I do; some people meditate, I cook!