Pierre Hermé’s Ispahan Sablés Recipe (2024)

Where do you find freeze dried raspberries?

To other readers: clearly you go online to post a question here. Why not just google terms like "sanding sugar, " " dried raspberries," "rose extract." You can get an immediate answer!

We crave the human contact.

Rose extract is available through Amazon. Freeze dried raspberries are sold at Trader Joe's or on Amazon as well. Fleur de sal is salt for people who are bad with money. Just use sea salt.

Is rose extract the same as rose water? So many hard to find ingredients. There are actually some readers who live in places where there are no Trade Joe (like Canada). Freeze dried raspberries everywhere?

I live in Jackson, MS., hardly a diverse food environment, but I know how to Google. Bought the freeze dried raspberries and ordered the extract via Amazon. Making the the sables was easy and the results were delicious with hot or iced tea. My only change was that I used rose colored dusting sugar instead of using the red food die.

Freeze-dried raspberries are everywhere, including Wal-mart. However, this is a real link (no tricks) to a place called North Bay Trading Co. (no affiliation), where you can buy 3 oz. (2 cups) of organic, nothing added, raspberries. for a bit more than $7. https://goo.gl/KAtQS8 Google will help you find lots of other places, too.

If you bought rose extract, you can afford to waste some more money on fleur de sel.

I don't see anyone weighing in who actually made the cookies--I did. They are a m a z i n g! Used Star Kay White rose extract (ordered online) and it is definitely different from rosewater which I use often in Persian cooking. Definitely worth it. I cooked on convection and my cookies spread instead of being the perfect thick coins but everyone raved after the first bite. I will try again because these are delicate, unusual, and delicious.

I took a class at Pierre Hermé Atelier in Paris several years ago. He just about melts the butter. I have found using very soft butter in World Peace cookies makes shaping the logs easy, and suppose it will with these cookies too.

There are many kinds of salt and regular sea salt does not have the texture and crunch of a fleur de sel. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money (though you can, and by the way, why are only people bad with money interested in salts of a different nature?) - Maldon salt is perfectly suited. Easy to find and not very dear.

These two flavorings are not the same.
According to an online source:
"Rose extract is Rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam-distilling the crushed petals of roses, Rose water is a by-product of this process. Rose oil is concentrated form while rose water is distilled form. ... The hydrosol portion of the distillate is known as rosewater.:
Source: https://www.quora.com/How-do-rose-extract-and-rose-water-differ
I bought my rose extract from Amazon.

I have make these before, but not in about five years. My rose extract still gives off a a very pleasant whiff of roses, but the flavour is disappointing. I pulsed everything in my stand mixer, as per directions. Alas, the dough just formed dry crumbs. So I transferred everything to my food processor, pulsed some more, and dribbled in about an ounce of water. Dough came together, formed the logs, baked up beautifully. Question: Is this common? Or did I miss a critical step somewhere?

These are my favorite cookies in the world. I disagree with another reviewer about not needing the fleur de sel: it's different than sea salt, and imparts a unique flavor. You don't use much, so it will last for ages. Star Kay White rose extract is also really good to use. If you are in a pinch, you can make your own sanding sugar in food processor and 10 minutes in 250 degree oven, but it can easily turn into powder and will be harder to adhere to roll.

Quite possibly the best sablés I've ever made! Contrast of rose and raspberry is delicious. I decided they were done after 15 mins in the oven - but that was my only deviation from the recipe.

The comments had me worried about trying this recipe but it turned out really great! I ended up using crystallized sugar instead of sanding sugar for the outside and it added a pleasant crunch. Love the raspberry and the rose extract. I used less rose than on the recipe. Definitely a great cookie and will make again!

For anyone wondering, yes you can use rose water instead of rose extract. I made my first batch with a full teaspoon of rose water for both the sugar and the sablés and the cookies were delicious. I ordered rose extract from amazon for the second batch following the recipe exactly and the taste was almost identical. Rose water works!

I love sables made with unsweetened cocoa and chopped hazelnutsThe rose taste is acquired and messes with my allergies. Another flavor option is using Lemon paste and roll the log in some dehydrated finely grated lemon rind

The text here does damage by omission. Isfahan /Isphahan is not just an ancient city!! It’s a vibrant city TODAY. In Iran, a country of AMAZING FOOD! Don’t forget the present truth— and the power of food to remind us of our common humanity. This cookie has Persian-Iranian flavors.

These were a huge hit. I did the thing everyone hates and made substitutions based on what I had. I omitted the rose in favor of fresh ground cardamom. I had freeze dried strawberries on hand. I added a splash of vanilla extract with the sanding sugar. Definitely will make again.

Dearest Dorie or NYT Cooking editor,I've made these cookies many, many times - both with your recommended brand of rose extract (Star Kay White) and other brands, and I agree Star Kay has the best flavor. Sadly, Star Kay doesn't appear to be available to the public anymore. Can you suggest an alternate brand?

My cousin told me about this recipe, and it's wonderful! She uses vanilla extract instead of rose because she bakes it for her grandchildren. They love them. Children might find the rose flavor a bit odd. However, I also found rose extract on Amazon, brand was Angel Bake.

Gourmet food sites are having lots of trouble with keeping items in stock as well as shipping. Amazon currently is the only site for a decent rose extract. Even my local middle eastern grocer doesn't stock it. My cousin, who introduced me to this recipe, just uses regular vanilla extract. Rose extract isn't a given and is a specifically strong flavor. You can experiment with almond, orange, etc. extracts.

I skipped the red food coloring for the sugar and I made the logs shorter - about 5 inches rather than 8 inches. They turned out delicious - a lovely subtle flavor of raspberries melded with rose.

Trader Joe’s sells freeze dried raspberries, and Kroger now sells them too. Both also carry other freeze dried fruits, too

I made these and love them. They do look like sausages, so I am going to shape them in rectangular shaped logs and press all sides in sugar, squaring sides and corners neatly. This should solve the “sausage” situation, cutting with a wired cheese slicer after a quick 15 minute to freezer to firm. A simple, special, perfect little cookie for a nice event, if I hide them...from myself as well as others.

I am not a big cake fan but Pierre Herme's Ispahan Macroon cake is heaven. He even sells an ice cream in the same flavour during summer...