Imagining it’s happy hour: chilled white wine (or rosé wine) & smooth red wine are awaiting their destiny, gin tonics & vodka tonics are mixed or whatever else – in the very middle of all the drinks sits a plate w/ crispy crumbly cheesy spicy shortbread cookies …
We are still in Southern France enjoying happy hour at times … so I started to make some savoury shortbread to enjoy w/ the wine – instead of fresh baguette & salted butter & olives & some rillette de thon or rillette de saumon …
We’re only mixing flour, Parmesan, pepper & salt … & dried rosemary!
So far nothing changed compared to my earlier approach … however, I used grated Parmesan from the food store. (… & I couldn’t rely on an oven w/ fan: so it was about 175° C in a preheated oven for about 16-17 min.)
Now join me when I roll up my sleeves & get to work …
We only need 4 components:
- flour
- ice-cold butter
- freshly grated Parmesan
- spicy kick: salt & pepper & dried rosemary.
Just start w/ mixing all the dry ingredients including the Parmesan. (Well – of course: grate the Parmesan beforehand!)
Add the cubed butter & start kneading … Hurry up – it gets soft rather soon!
Form a ball of dough & stretch it into a clumsy log. Wrap in cling film & roll the log to get it even & round & smooth. My final log was about 25 cm long. Put it in the fridge: at least for 30 min in the fresh department (or longer in the rest of the fridge).
In the meantime line 2 baking trays w/ baking parchment. Then preheat the oven to 160° C fan.
As soon as the dough is hard enough cut it into slices of about 5 mm. It’s not evenly round anymore: live w/ it or roll the dough log again & again when cutting slices. Place the slices on the baking trays (4 x 5). I managed to get about 40 slices.
Bake them in oven for about 13-15 min. The shortbread should be slightly brown.
A rich flavor fills your kitchen & all of your house. The Parmesan is very intense.
The shortbread is soft & crispy at the same time. It’s very crumbly – handle w/ care! It’s also very rich – just the right nibble for a hefty happy hour to go w/ proper drinks.
Put them in an airtight container for storage.
Enjoy!
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 75 g freshly grated Parmesan
- 125 g ice-cold butter
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp finely ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Grate Parmesan.
- Mix flour, grated Parmesan, dried rosemary, pepper & salt in a bowl.
- Add butter cut into cubes.
- Knead everything w/ your hands until you get a smooth sticky dough.
- Form somewhat like a log, wrap in cling film & roll over the surface until round & even (length approximately 20-25 cm).
- Store in the fridge (fresh department!) for about 30 min.
- Preheat the oven to 160° C fan.
- Line 2 baking trays w/ baking parchment.
- Unwrap the dough & cut into slices of about 5 mm (max).
- Arrange on the baking tray (4 x 5).
- Bake in the oven for about 13-15 min.
- Let the shortbread cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
