Sage Shortbread With Goat Cheese Recipes

BROWN SUGAR SAGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dark brown sugar, confectioners' sugar, minced sage and salt. Use your fingers and rub the sage into the sugar to release its flavor. Add the flour and mix to combine. Add the butter and blend on low until a smooth dough forms. Scrape the bowl and paddle and blend for another 15 seconds.
• Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, flatten into a disk and wrap. Allow the dough to chill for at least two hours or up to overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line two half sheet pans with parchment.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Working on a lightly floured surface (or between two pieces of parchment), roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out desired shapes with a 2 1/2-inch people-shaped cookie cutter. Transfer cutouts to the parchment-lined baking sheets and bake until the edges are a deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the sheet pans.

GRILLED TOMATOES STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE AND SAGE

Steps:

• Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons fresh sage and fry 30 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer fried sage to paper towel.
• Combine cheese, onions, shallot, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon fresh sage in bowl. Season with pepper. Using small sharp knife, remove cone-shaped piece 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep from top of each tomato. Divide cheese mixture among tomatoes; top with fried sage.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place tomatoes on grill rack; cover barbecue with lid. Cook until tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes.

GOAT BUTTER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and refrigerate until the butter is firm, approximately 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F and spread the wheat germ onto a half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan. Toast until slightly aromatic, approximately 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flours, salts, and toasted wheat germ. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until the dough starts to resemble a coarse meal, 6 to 8 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough just starts to clump around the paddle or to the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.
• Place the dough on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Roll the dough back and forth into a cylinder. Using your fingers, pat the dough into a rectangle. Put a sheet of parchment paper the same dimensions as a half sheet pan on the work surface and dust lightly with flour. Put the dough on top.
• Using a rolling pin, begin rolling out the dough. If any cracks form in the dough, stop to push them together. To keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, dust the top lightly with flour, cover with another piece of parchment paper, and, sandwiching the dough between both sheets of parchment paper, flip the dough and paper over. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and continue to roll. Roll the dough into a 10 by 12- or 14-inch rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. If the surface is uneven, roll a pastry roller across the surface to even it out.
• Ease the dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Let the dough sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. Invert the dough onto a work surface and peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Roll a dough docker over the dough or pierce it numerous times with a fork.
• Using a 1 ¾ by 2 ½-inch (or comparable) cookie cutter, cut out the shortbread. Reroll the dough trimmings, chill, and cut out more cookies. If you don't have a comparable cookie cutter, you can cut out the rectangles with a knife.
• Evenly space 12 to 16 shortbreads on the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven, lower the temperature to 325°F, and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until the cookies feel firm to the touch and are slightly brown around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let the cookies cool entirely on the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

SCOTTISH SHARP-CHEDDAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Using electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat together butter, salt, black pepper, and cayenne at low speed just until blended. Add Cheddar and flour and mix at low speed just until smooth (do not overmix). Shape dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and chill 30 minutes.
• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch-thick round. Using 1 1/2- to 2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds and arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Reroll scraps if desired (rerolled scraps will be tougher).
• Bake shortbread until lightly golden and beginning to brown on edges, about 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.