Sarah Bernhardts are unforgettable little treats ~ a chewy almond meringue base topped with silky chocolate ganache and all wrapped up in a crisp chocolate shell. Think truffle meets macaron, with just the right amount of drama.
A bit of history
Despite their French name, Sarah Bernhardt cookies were actually born in Denmark, sometime around 1911. The story goes that a Danish pastry chef created them in honor of the legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt when she visited Copenhagen. With their bold textures and rich flavors, it’s easy to see how these cookies earned her name ~ they’re simply show-stopping.
Sarah Bernhardts are one of the best cookies I’ve ever eaten, yet very few people know about them!
The rich combination of chocolate and almond is irresistible, especially when eaten straight from the fridge (or freezer!)
Sarah Bernhardt cookies step by step
The only downside to these delicious cookies, besides their being addictive, is that they do involve a few steps to make. An electric mixer (even better a stand mixer) will come in handy to beat the egg whites to stiff peaks for the base, but other than that, you won’t need anything special to make them.
- Whip egg whites and sugar until stiff and glossy just like you would for pavlova or meringues.
- Gently fold in almond flour (this is where it veers toward a French macaron.)
- Pipe the cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet (keep them small, these cookies are rich!)
- Bake until set.
- Top the cooled cookies with a heap of ganache.
- Dunk headfirst into melted chocolate. The cookies are supposed to look a little lopsided, so there’s no pressure to be perfect.
- Let set up before enjoying! The shiny chocolate will dull down as they set up. Once set they can be stacked.
what next?
Store your Sarah Bernhardts in the refrigerator. The ganache filling requires it, but they are at their very best straight from the fridge, if you ask me.
Yes they can be frozen. Pop them in heavy duty freezer bags, forcing out excess air before zipping closed. Some love to eat their cookies while still frozen (it’s an experience, trust me.)
Sarah Bernhardt cookies fun facts
Sarah Bernhardt cookies for Christmas! While they got their start in Denmark, Sarah Bernhardt cookies have become beloved across Scandinavia, especially in Norway and Iceland. In Iceland they go by the name sörur, and they’re a must on holiday cookie trays ~ they’re right up there with gingerbread and Pepparkakor cookies when it comes to Christmas baking. People make huge batches and keep them chilled until guests come by.
Sarah Bernhardt cookies walk the line between cookie and candy. With that rich ganache center and glossy chocolate shell, they’re often served like petits fours ~ especially at weddings and special events.
They freeze beautifully. In fact, many bakers recommend freezing them to make the chocolate shell snappier and to keep them fresh through the holidays.
Despite their show-stopping looks, Sarah Bernhardt cookies are still a bit of a best-kept secret. You don’t see them in bakeries very often, and most people have never heard of them unless they have Scandinavian roots ~ or stumbled on them traveling. But once you’ve had one, you never forget it.
Sarah Bernhardt Cookies
Equipment
- stand mixer or electric beaters to make the meringue
Ingredients
for the meringues
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 1/3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2 cups almond flour
ganache filling
- 2 cups Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp almond extract
chocolate coating
- 1 pound Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers
- 2 tsp vegetable or coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
prep the ganache filling
- Put the cream and the chocolate into a glass measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and glossy. If necessary microwave it again for a very short burst. Don't over do this. Stir in the extract. Set the ganache in the refrigerator until it is cooled and thickened. This might take a couple of hours.
make the meringues
- Put the 4 large egg whites and the 1 tsp almond extract in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use a hand mixer. Beat the whites until they are foamy, and then slowly start adding the 2 1/3 cups confectioner’s sugar, a little at a time, until it is all incorporated and the meringue is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks.
- Carefully fold in the 2 cups almond flour.
- Pipe the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheets. I pipe mine into 1 1/2 inch circles about an inch apart from each other. Use a wet finger to smooth out any peaks in your meringues. I get about 20 meringues to each cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until set. I bake each pan of meringues separately.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
fill the cookies
- When the ganache is scoopable, spoon a small mound on the flat side of each cookie, smoothing it into an even mound. Cover the entire surface of the cookie.
- Put all the cookies back in the refrigerator to firm up while you make the chocolate coating.
add the chocolate shell
- To make the coating, I like to work with half the chocolate at a time. Put half the amount of chocolate and vegetable oil in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir to melt all the chocolate. If necessary, microwave again in 15 second bursts until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. Don't over do this or your chocolate will seize up.
- Let the melted chocolate cool for about 5 minutes, and then you can dip your cookies. Dip them head first into the chocolate, and set them upright on a tray. When you’ve used all the chocolate, melt the other half for the rest of the cookies.
- Store the cookies in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them.
I loved this recipe so much! It’s considered a christmas-cookie in Norway, and in recent years we’ve been making it like a sheet cake. Just make a big enough amount of it and then you can just cut up however much you’d like. It freezes very well.
I would love to try that Hilde, I absolutely adore this cookie too!
I want to make sure I understand the recipe. The chocolate coating covers the chocolate ganache? Thanks!
Yes!
What would you do to make them with a bit more chew?
Baking the cookies for slightly less time will make them chewier, Deb.
These look and sound sublime. Do you think replacing almond extract with pistachio flavoring would work as a variation? I
I think that’s fine, any extract or flavoring that you like should work.
These are my favorite cookies/desserts too! I’ve only had them from two places in the Midwest, but I think the base cookie was a macaroon. I’ll have to try yours though. Sounds wonderful!
I adore them, and I’ve only found them at one bakery, which is why I had to resort to making them myself!
This is food porn, at it’s best. I’ve heard of these, but didn’t really know the back story. Wow!
They look delicious and so pretty, Sue! I’ve never made these but with all of those ground almonds and chocolate I know they would become an immediate favorite here too!
You are trying to recreate a past tasting. I am starting from ground zero. I know that this would be the version I would be using to compare other versions too. It looks stupendous!
They look divine!
These cookies look amazing!