the businesswoman's kitchen

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Shortbread time: we are approaching sweet & savory shortbread today – both linked by the flavours of lemon & thyme. Twice we’ll get these wonderful crumbly texture of shortbread almost melting in our mouths… once together w/ coffee (or espresso!), once w/ wine or long drinks…

The procedure doesn’t change: shortbread is shortbread is shortbread…

We start w/ the well known assortment of…

• flour
• butter

…completetd by:

• sugar OR cheese
• lemon zest
• dried thyme.

We grate the lemon zest.
We grate the pecorino.
We mix the flour w/ the lemon zest, dried thyme, salt & ground pepper (only for the savory part).

Sugar & grated pecorino are stirred in & the ice-cold butter cubes are added.

We knead well until getting a smooth dough, wrap the dough in cling foil, roll over the wooden board until even & store it in the fridge to get ready to be cut into slices. (Don’t forget to preheat the oven to 160° C w/ fan!)

We cut the dough & arrange the slices on 1-2 baking trays & bake twice… (or 3 baking trays – if you are supplied w/ a 3rd baking tray – to bake only once!).

…& about 15 min later: voilà!

Print Recipe

thyme & lemon – sweet & savory

The basic flavours of lemon & thyme are combined in shortbread: once adding sugar to get sweet shortbread, once adding cheese for a savory shortbread.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

ingredients:

for the sweet shortbread:

• 150 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g caster sugar
• 125 g butter
• zest of 1/2 an organic lemon
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt

for the savory shortbread:

• 150 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g freshly grated pecorino
• 125 g butter
• zest of 1/2 an organic lemon
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp finely ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

how to:

• Grate lemon zest.
• Grate pecorino.

for the sweet shortbread:

• Mix flour, sugar, dried thyme, 1/2 of the lemon zest & salt.
• Add butter cut into cubes.
• Knead everything w/ your hands until smooth.
• Form somewhat like a roll, wrap in cling film & roll over the surface until even (length approximately 20 cm).
• Store in the fridge (fresh department of about 0 degrees C!) for about 30 min.

for the savory shortbread:

• Mix flour, grated pecorino, dried thyme, 1/2 of the lemon zest, pepper & salt.
• Add butter cut into cubes.
• Knead everything w/ your hands until smooth.
• Form somewhat like a roll, wrap in cling film & roll over the surface until even (length approximately 25 cm).
• Store in the fridge (fresh department of about 0° C!) for about 30 min.

for both:

• Preheat the oven to 160° C w/ fan.
• Line 2 baking trays w/ baking parchment.
• Unwrap one of the dough rolls & cut into slices of about 5 mm.
• Arrange on the baking tray (5 x 4 resp. 4 x 3).
• Bake in the oven for about 14-15 min.
• Unwrap the next dough roll & cut into slices of about 5 mm.
• Arrange on the baking tray (5 x 4 resp. 4 x 3).
• Bake in the oven for about 14-15 min.
• Let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

Prep Time: Cooling time for the dough is not included.

Cooling time: It’s about 30 min in the fresh department of about 0° C; it’s about 1 h (minimum!) in the rest of the fridge.

Cook Time: It’s 2x up to 15 min if you bake twice. If you’ve got 3 baking trays you may be able to arrange the shortbread cookies (sweet & savoury) for one baking batch...

Pecorino: I used fresh pecorino which I grated by myself (not so finely grated as you may buy in your trusted food store).

Butter: The butter should be ice-cold.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks - if anybody can resist so long...).

Don’t care about the shape of the shortbread cookies too much – they’re handmade! That’s your USP!
(Leave it to a pastry chef to produce these marvelous looking, totally round shortbread cookies as if made w/ compasses on plotting paper…)

The businesswoman w/ too many office hours thinks

Shortbread is shortbread is shortbread… I got the message: it’s always this sticky mess in your hands & different ingredients.

I notice that this time „w/ pecorino“ it’s only 2/3 of the grated cheese – so the the whole flavour is a little less sharp than last time „w/ Parmesan“. Don’t think too much about it: both are just delicious w/ large glass of red wine.