Cheddar & Chive Shortbreads
Makes:
about 4 dozen shortbreads
Prep Time:
15 minutes
plus chilling
Cook Time:
20 minutes
Category:
Excerpted from Anna Cooks: 125+ Delicious & Achievable Recipes for Every Meal of the Day, by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2025 Olson Food Concepts Inc. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited.
NOTES: You can store baked shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Or make the shortbread dough and freeze it, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before slicing to bake.
My friend Lisa shared a great trick for ensuring logs of dough keep their shape in the fridge. Shape the dough into a log just a touch smaller in diameter than an empty paper towel roll. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, slip it into the cardboard roll and chill or freeze. The cardboard protects it from denting or flattening on the side it is resting on while it sits in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup (115 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 6 oz (180 g) coarsely grated old Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups/500 mL)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh chives
- ½ cup (60 g) sesame seeds
- 1 egg white, lightly whisked, for brushing
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Place the flour, sugar, pepper in the bowl of a food processor with the butter and pulse until the mixture is rough and crumbly and no bits of butter are visible. Add the Cheddar and pulse until evenly combined. Add the egg yolks and pulse again until the dough shapes itself into a ball.
Step 2
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead in the chives by hand (if you add them in the food processor, the dough will turn green). Shape the dough into 2 logs about 1 1/2 inches (3.75 cm) across, wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Place the sesame seeds on a large flat plate.
Step 4
Unwrap the dough, brush the logs with the egg white and then roll in the sesame seeds to coat fully. Slice coins about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick and arrange them on the trays, about 1/2 inch (12 mm) apart.
Step 5
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool completely on the trays. If gifting, stack the cookies and pack them snugly in a box or tin, or wrap in a cellophane bag tied with a ribbon
