VT
It’s a snap to whip up a batch of homemade savory shortbread: poppy and sesame or cheddar in your electric mixer or food processor.
Cream softened butter, add in flour, and then pick a seasoning you like: your favorite herb or spice, seeds, nuts or cheese. Try this poppy and sesame seed laced shortbread. It’s delicate and crunchy.
 For a completely different version, replace the seeds with a pinch of cayenne and grated, sharp cheddar cheese.
It’s spicy cheddar nirvana.Â
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Just like homemade cookies, rich shortbread only stays fresh for a few days, so I like to roll the dough into 4 logs, then slice and bake just a dozen or two at a time.
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| Each 4″ log makes 12 savory cookies |
Wrap up remaining logs, label with the date and freeze for up to three months.
Serving Ideas
- Dessert: Serve Poppy and Sesame Seed Shortbread with semi-soft cheese, fresh and dried fruits and apricot preserves.
Cheese Board: Serve Cheddar Shortbread with your favorite cheese, salsa or dip. Add raw veggies or fruit, like apple slices and berries.
Soup, Salad, Chili, Stew: Serve with shortbread instead of bread or croutons.
Quiche or Casserole: Use shortbread crumbs for a quiche crust or atop a casserole.
Dig in to a batch of savory shortbread and surprise your family and friends.
Use these recipes as a roadmap and substitute your favorite flavors to suit your taste!Â
Savory Shortbread: Poppy and Sesame or Cheddar
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 22 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 2 mins
- Yield: 48 1x
- Category: Appetizer/Bread
- Cuisine: American
Homemade savory shortbread is the perfect appetizer or dessert option with cheese and fruit. Make either two seed or savory cheddar shortbread and add variety to your next snack, soup, salad or dessert.
Ingredients
- ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 T cornstarch, optional
- ½ t kosher salt
- ½ t coarse ground pepper
- 1 T poppy seeds
- 1 T sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 t sugar
- 1 t ice water
- Cheddar version:
- ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup all purpose flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 T cornstarch, optional
- ½ t kosher salt
- ½ t coarse ground pepper
- ¾ cup sharp cheddar, shredded
- pinch of cayenne
- 1 t ice water
Instructions
- Cream butter for 5 minutes.
- Sift together flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, poppy and sesame seeds and sugar. Cheddar version: Sift flours, salt, pepper and cayenne. Fold in cheese AFTER mixing flour with butter completely.
- With mixer on low, add in flour mixture in three additions.
- Sprinkle in 1 t of ice water to help dough form. Mix just until dough sticks together.
- Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a ball or cake.
- Cut ball into 4 wedges. Roll each wedge into a 4-inch log. Wrap logs well in plastic and freeze for 15 -20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F (325 F convection bake) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove logs from freezer. To make 12 slices, cut each log in half, then cut each in half again. Cut each fourth into three slices.
- Place cookies on baking sheet and bake them for 20 -22 minutes. After the first ten minutes, rotate tray to ensure even baking.
- When cookies are done, use a spatula to transfer them to paper towels or a flat piece of paper bag to soak up the butter.
- Serving Ideas:
- Dessert: Serve with semi-soft cheese, fresh and dried fruits and apricot preserves.
- Cheese Board: Serve with your favorite cheese, salsa or dip. Add raw veggies or fruit, like apple slices and berries.
- Soup, Salad, Chili, Stew: Serve instead of bread or croutons.
- Quiche or Casserole: Use shortbread crumbs for a quiche crust or atop a casserole.
Notes
Adapted from Ina Garten and Faith Gorsky, www.AnEdibleMosaic.com
Thanks Dana. I’m going to try a batch of these this morning before I start my regular baking. 🙂
ps… Can quinoa flour can be substituted for the whole wheat flour?
Hi future mrs. K dub, I encourage you to make the flour substitution and let me know how they turn out! A mix of flours adds a great texture to these shortbread and can be used for both recipes. I chose all white flour for the seed version because it’s pretty, but, by all means, experiment. That’s what fearless bakers do!