Savoury Herb Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Savoury Herb Shortbread Cookies

PREP TIME

25 min

TOTAL TIME

50 min

Makes

24 cookies

* PLUS cooling

Photo, Erik Putz. Food Styling, Eshun Mott. Prop Styling, Madeline Johari.

A savoury take on one of the holiday's most popular cookie recipes. From thyme to rosemary, parsley or oregano, the options are are delicious.

Ingredients

100 g block Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese , grated (1 cup packed)
2 cups all-purpose flour , (270 g)
3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter
24 whole assorted herbs and leaves, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary and oregano , (optional)
coarsely crushed pink peppercorns
1 tsp flaked sea salt

Position rack in centre of oven, then preheat to 350F. Line a 9 × 13-in. non-stick metal pan with parchment, with overhanging edges over two long sides.
Whirl cheese in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, thyme and garlic salt. Season with pepper. Whirl to combine. Add cubed butter through feed tube while pulsing until combined. (It’s okay if dough is a bit crumbly.) Transfer to prepared pan. Press dough over bottom of pan.
Use the flat bottom of a cup to smooth top. Score surface into 24 squares. Arrange whole herbs on each square. Use same cup to press gently so herbs stick. Garnish with pink peppercorns and sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Re-score surface.
Bake until top is just golden, 25 to 30 min. Immediately cut shortbread in pan into squares with a paring knife while hot. Turn off heat and return cookies to oven to cool completely.

Cutting the cookies in the pan while the shortbread is still very hot will give you cleaner and straighter edges than cutting when cooled.

Try to use real Parmigiano-Reggiano if you can; the generic stuff will give your shortbread a more crumbly texture.

Leave shortbread squares to cool overnight in the oven for a crisper texture.

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days, or freeze up to 1 month.