Savoury Christmas Shortbread Recipes

SAVORY SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Add flour and cayenne pepper to the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
• Add cheese to the food processor; pulse until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
• Using a fork, stir in milk and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Have ready several pieces of parchment paper.
• Form mixture into two 1-inch-diameter logs, and wrap in parchment. Transfer the logs to the refrigerator, and chill until very firm, at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove logs from refrigerator, and cut each one into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place the rounds on prepared baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart.
• Bake the shortbread until golden, about 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets between shelves halfway through baking.
• Transfer shortbread to wire racks to cool. Bake remaining dough. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

SAVOURY CHRISTMAS SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the butter, flour, stuffing mix and cheese into a medium bowl and mix well into a dough using a wooden spoon.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a 5mm thickness and use a cutter of your choice to stamp out as many biscuits as you can. If needed, re-roll the trimmings and repeat until you've used up all the dough.
• Transfer the biscuits to a generously buttered baking tray and bake for 10-12 mins until lightly golden at the edges. Leave to cool completely on the tray - they will firm up more as they cool. Scatter over another grating of cheese before serving.

SAVORY MIXED-NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, rosemary sprig and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook over medium, swirling occasionally, until the butter is just melted. (You can also do this in a bowl in the microwave, stirring between 30-second bursts). Set aside to cool slightly. (Take a whiff of the butter; it smells like rosemary!)
• In an ungreased 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan, use a fork to stir together the flour, sugar and cayenne until combined. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig from the butter. Pour the melted butter into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork to combine, then use your hands to mix until no dry spots remain.
• Press the dough evenly into the pan. Prick all over with a fork. Sprinkle the nuts and rosemary leaves on top, shake into a single layer, then press firmly into the dough until the nuts' sides are surrounded by dough. (This is important, otherwise the nuts won't adhere.) Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
• Bake until golden brown (including in the center) and the edges start to pull away from the sides, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let cool completely, then gently break up with your hands into jagged pieces. Nuts along the edge may fall out. (Those are yours to eat.) The shortbread will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

SHORTBREAD CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; with a pastry cutter, chop in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the rum extract and almond extract into the water in a small bowl. Mix into the dry ingredients, a little bit at a time, until the mixture holds together in a ball when you squeeze it.
• Place the dough onto a floured work surface, and sprinkle with flour; roll out into a sheet 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters, and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake the cookies just until the edges are lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool on sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to finish cooling. Cool completely before decorating.
• For frosting, whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk in a bowl until smooth. If desired, divide frosting into small bowls, and tint each bowl a desired shade with food coloring. Frost fully cooled cookies, and sprinkle with edible glitter before the frosting sets.