The best Christmas food is designed for sharing, from boxes of mince pies to a bountiful roast on the big day. Our Parmesan Shortbread is just the thing to elevate festive gatherings or for sharing with loved ones at home. Wrapped up in an elegant box, they also make a lovely gift.
Whether you're already a fan of these biscuits or are looking for a homemade canapé to serve, here’s how to make them at home. Decadently cheesy and wonderfully crumbly, they are a must on the ultimate Christmas cheese board, make a perfect canapé with our Piccalilli (available soon), and are a delightful accompaniment to a celebratory glass.
INGREDIENTS
200g cubed cold unsalted butter
200g parmesan
150g organic white flour
50g wholemeal flour
Pinch of salt (optional, depending on how mature and salty your parmesan is. For an 18-month-old cheese the salt is absolutely necessary. For a 24-month-plus, it’s probably not).
METHOD
- In a food processor, pulse in the parmesan to a fine crumb.
- Add in the cubed butter and process to form a paste.
- Add the flour (and salt if using) and pulse until a homogenous dough starts to ball up around the walls of the processor.
- Scoop the dough out on to some parchment paper and bring it together using your hands. It should feel like shortcrust pastry. Shape it into a rough log and refrigerate until it has firmed up (this should take around 30 minutes).
- Remove the dough from the fridge and, wrapped up in the paper, roll it back and forth to create a more uniform log. Refrigerate for a further hour or overnight.
- Unwrap the log and slice it into 5–10mm discs. Arrange them on a lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 160°C fan for 12 minutes.
- Allow your shortbreads to cool slightly so that they firm up before enjoying.
