Parmesan And Olive Shortbread: The Savory Biscuit That Makes The Appetizer.

Four ingredients, a chilled dough log, and a baking sheet: here are savory cookies that disappear in two minutes.

A savory snack biscuit.

Shortbread is not just for sweet dishes. With butter, flour, and a well-aged cheese, you get a crumbly dough that can be cut into rounds and baked in fifteen minutes.

Here, the parmesan adds salt and flavor, while the chopped black olives provide color and a melting texture. Four ingredients, nothing more.

What makes success

Everything depends on the butter: it must be really soft to blend with the flour without lumps. Chilling in the refrigerator is not optional; it firms up the dough log and allows for clean slices.

To be served as an appetizer, warm or cold, in a small dish or stacked on a board.

Ingredients

20 black olives, pitted150 g of Parmesan cheese, to be grated100 g of butter, very soft100 g of flour

Step 1: Chop and grate

Chop the pitted black olives with a knife into small, even pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the dough. Grate the parmesan.

A coarser chop weakens the cookies when cutting.

Step 2: Knead the dough

In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, grated parmesan, flour, and chopped olives. Mix with your fingertips until you obtain a smooth, pliable dough without any traces of dry flour.

Step 3: Shape the sausages

Roll the dough into regular logs, pressing tightly to avoid air pockets. Let it rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator: the dough should become firm to the touch.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

Step 4: Cut the slices

Remove the sausages and slice them into 1 cm thick rounds with a sharp knife. Arrange them on a baking sheet, spaced slightly apart, as they will expand slightly during cooking.

Step 5: Bake and cool

Bake for 15 minutes at 180 °C. The cookies are ready when the edges are golden and the parmesan has formed a fine, fragrant crust.

Let them cool on the tray before removing them, as they are still fragile when they come out of the oven.

Tips and common mistakes

A butter taken out of the refrigerator too late results in a crumbly dough: let it soften before starting.Do not skip the resting time, a soft dough will deform when cutting.Remove the cookies only once they are cold, otherwise they will break.

Agreements and service

These shortbread cookies are served as they are for an appetizer, with a nice cold drink. Their salty flavor and crumbly texture also make them a great accompaniment to a green salad or vegetable soup.

Preparation in advance

The dough logs are prepared the day before and wait in the refrigerator: all that's left to do is slice and bake them at the last moment.

Once baked and well cooled, keep the cookies in a closed container so they remain crunchy.