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, pitted
- 150 g of Parmesan cheese, to be grated
- 100 g of butter, very soft
- 100 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.
