Everything Parmesan-Pecorino Savory Shortbread
We have consensus: savory cookies are cookies too!
These crumbly and delicate cookies combine three of my favorites, Parmesan cheese, pecorino-romano cheese and everything bagel seasoning to create the perfect accompaniment to cocktails. Make them in bulk, ship them to your friends, and then have a virtual holiday party over Zoom while enjoying the same nibbles.
Or do as we will in my house because we are lonely, sad introverts, and pop ‘em one after another along with gin and tonics (de rigeur with British husband) and terrifically bad Christmas movies (de rigeur with New Jersey wife, aka me).
Yes. We are our own cliché.
Other than waiting an hour for them to chill, these are quick to make.
NOTES FOR THOSE THAT LIKE NOTES:
Best results for these will be if you measure everything by weight, esp the cheese. If you don’t own a kitchen scale, ask Santa for one.
Sesame seeds or nigella seeds are a good option if you’re not an everything bagel seasoning obsessive like I am, with a restaurant-sized container of the stuff in your cupboard.
If you opt for all Parmesan cheese, add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the cookie mixture.
EVERYTHING PARMESAN-PECORINO SHORTBREAD
WHAT YOU NEED:
4 ounces (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter, cold
1 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (35 grams) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup, packed (75 grams) grated Parmesan cheese (no, please no Kraft green can Parm)
1/4 cup (25 grams) grated pecorino-romano cheese
pinch of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
everything bagel seasoning
HOW TO DO IT:
Into the bowl of a food processor, put the butter, flours, cheeses and cayenne pepper. Pulse and pulse and pulse (it may take longer than you think) until the mixture transforms from sandy consistency to small clumps of dough.
Put the dough onto a lightly-floured work surface. Divide the dough into equal halves and roll each into a ball. Then roll each ball into a long piece of dough, about 1 1/2-inches thick. (Although the size of the cookies is up to you!)
Move the dough to the side and put a large piece of plastic wrap down in the center of the work surface. Sprinkle the plastic wrap with everything bagel seasoning. Place one piece of the dough on top and roll it gently enough so it doesn’t lose its shape, but firmly enough that the seasoning sticks to the outside of the dough. Wrap the log tightly in the plastic wrap, repeat with the other piece of dough and allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for an hour.
After an hour, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the log into 1/4-inch pieces and lay them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and ever-so-slight cracks appear here and there on the surface of the cookie.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
You can make the dough in advance and store the rolled, uncooked dough in the freezer until ready to bake. You can then defrost in the refrigerator, slice and bake when needed.
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