Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Palets Bretons

A simple and easy recipe for you today, my friends… I present to you the chocolate palet breton!!

Are you interested?? Well, let’s go!

You may have already tried the classic version of palets bretons, the recipe by Christophe Felder is already on the blog…

Here, we’re not reinventing anything. We’re simply offering a chocolate version.

You’ll get biscuits that are a little different, or even a nice cake base to pair with fruit mousses or a vanilla whipped ganache.

A bit of history

The palet breton, this little shortbread biscuit recognizable by its crumbly texture and its unmistakable buttery taste, originates from Brittany, a region famous for its semi-salted butter and rich culinary traditions.

Its history dates back to the 19th century, a time when Brittany was already known for its expertise in pastry and biscuit-making. Inspired by the Norman shortbread, the palet breton stands out for its generous use of salted butter, an iconic ingredient of the region. This particularity stems from an old Breton tradition: before the 17th century, the gabelle (a tax on salt) was in effect in most French provinces, but Brittany was exempt. As a result, Bretons had access to cheaper salt, which encouraged the use of salted butter in their cuisine.

Its name, “palet,” comes from the traditional Breton game of the same name, where metal discs are thrown onto a wooden board. The round, flat shape of the biscuit resembles the palets used in this popular game, further reinforcing the biscuit’s cultural roots in the region.

Over time, the palet breton has won over biscuit lovers far beyond Brittany’s borders. Its unique texture, due to the significant amount of butter and slow baking that gives it that irresistible crunch, has made it a staple of French pastry. It is now often used as a base for refined desserts, particularly tarts and entremets.

Today, palet bretons can easily be found in bakeries and supermarkets, both in Brittany and throughout France and beyond. Their success is based on simplicity and the quality of their ingredients, staying true to the Breton tradition that values butter and artisanal know-how. Enjoying a palet breton means savoring a piece of Breton history and terroir.

And for more shortbread biscuits, I invite you to click here.

So, I won’t make a longer speech…

The necessary utensils:

My kMix robot

A good rolling pin (I have my grandmother’s, it’s the best!!)

My De Buyer cookie cutters to shape the palets (or simply a glass).

The recipe, Chef!

Print Recipe

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Palets Bretons

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pastry – French

Serves: 45-50 pces Difficulty: Easy Price: $

Cooking Time: 3 heures

Ingredients

• 180 g flour
• 3 egg yolks (60 g)
• 130 g sugar
• 150 g butter at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon flower salt
• 11 g baking powder

Instructions

1

Mix the egg yolks and sugar until it gets white and foamy (I use my hand mixer with whip accessory).

2

Add the butter and mix until you get an homogeneous mixture.

3

Add the sifted flour and cocoa, salt and baking powder. Mix until you get a nice and smooth pastry.

4

Wrap it in clingfilm and set aside in your fridge for 2 hours.

5

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees.

6

Spread the pastry with 1 cm thickness.

7

Cut round shapes with a steel cutter diameter 3 or 4 cm (measure the diamater of your silicon mold) and place them in your silicon mold.

8

Bake for 17 minutes.

9

At the end of baking, wait for 1 minute before unmolding and let cool down on a grid.