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My dad used to take me to Kelly’s Bakery on Swift Street on cloudy days, just the two of us. We would stand at the glass case and I would marvel at all the pastries, my head full of a fierce debate over which one to choose. Most of the time I picked a small shortcrust tart filled with jammy, sweet olallieberries and topped with a crunchy, almost powdery crumble top. If I didn’t pick that, I would instead choose a chocolate sablé cut out in a seasonal animal shape—it was buttery, crisp, almost flaky; both delicate and rich at the same time. Those cookies were so simple and elegant, and I could have eaten ten at a time. Once we chose our treats, we retired to a table in the corner, grabbed one of the communal chess boards, and played a couple rounds of chess, cozy inside the bakery as foggy skies loomed outside the windows.

When I tasted Alison Roman’s all-chocolate version of her chocolate chip shortbread (my version of that cookie here), the flavor immediately transported me back to those cozy bakery chess matches. I made a few changes, as usual; for once I decided that less chocolate would be best so as not to overpower the sablé-like delicate texture and flavor, so I took out most of the chocolate chunks and, as usual, decided against Alison’s egg and sugar outer coating (she swears by it for maximum crunch but I’d rather skip the extra step because, controversial though it may be, I don’t think it’s necessary and, to be frank, I just don’t have the energy). The resulting cookies were delicious, simple, elegant, and so reminiscent of my childhood chess sablés that I had a very hard time giving any away instead of eating them all myself. I did follow Alison’s advice and topped the cookies with plenty of flaky salt, which enhances the chocolate flavor in the best way. (You may be wondering, why not just make actual sablés? I have made them before and they are delightful, but it involved finely grating a lot of chocolate and I just don’t have the time these days. So, here we are.)

My dad and I recently resurrected our weekend chess matches, meeting in a coffee shop about once a month for a couple of hours, sitting across from each other over a small chess board armed with no strategy but plenty of coffee. Sometimes a pastry is involved. I may just have to make a batch of these cookies for each monthly showdown, for old times sake.

Salty Chocolate Shortbread

Makes about 35-40 cookies | Adapted from Alison Roman’s book, Sweet Enough

290g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
70g (⅔ cup) cocoa powder
285g (2 ½ sticks) salted butter, at room temperature*
110g (½ cup) sugar
70g (⅓ cup) brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz chopped dark chocolate
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

*If you only have unsalted, add 1 tsp kosher salt to the butter mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk 290g flour and 70g cocoa powder together, then set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 285g room temperature salted butter, 110g sugar, 70g brown sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed until very light and quite fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the flour and cocoa mixture. With the mixer on low, beat until the flour is mostly absorbed, then add the chocolate chunks and mix until the dough comes together. Divide the cookie dough between two sheets of plastic wrap or baking parchment. Working with one quantity at a time, press the dough together until there are no more cracks or gaps, then roll into a roughly 2 ½-inch smooth log. Seal as best you can and leave in the fridge for 1 ½ – 2 hours, until firm. (You can leave the logs in the fridge for a few days before baking or, once they’re firm, toss them in the freezer and keep there for a couple of months. Just thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing and baking.)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

Slice each log into ¼-inch thick rounds and place about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt and bake for 15 minutes, until a little cracked and toasty smelling. It can be hard to tell when chocolate cookies are done because they’re already dark, but 15 minutes should do the trick.

Let cool completely, then dig in. Enjoy!