Friday 26 August 2011

Shortbread with cheddar and rosemary




Shortbread is such a classic and goes back to medieval times though it had a slightly different shape and taste back then. It is really just a mix of three ingredients: sugar, butter and flour, baked at low temperature to avoid browning. Mary, Queen of Scots, made it popular in the 16th century and maybe for that reason it is being credited as a Scottish recipe though it was found all over the British Isles.
Traditionally shortbread was made with oatmeal flour but I used half plain and half spelt flour and it makes for a light and crumbly texture. The recipe will make about 40-45 cookies with a 2" cookie cutter and they are great with some cheese and chutney.

SHORTBREAD WITH CHEDDAR AND ROSEMARY

200g flour
100g butter
50g grated mature cheddar
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until it turns pale in colour. Mix the flour, cheddar and spices and combine with the butter. Knead but don't overwork the dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies and bake for 10-15 minutes.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi! I'm working on a recipe round up for The Huffington Post Taste and would love to include this recipe. Please contact me if you're interested. Thanks!