Parmesan Shortbread

Rich butter and sharp cheese mixed with hints of caraway and sea salt. These savory parmesan shortbread cookies are a delightful treat alongside coffee or tea.

Savory Shortbread

Shortbread is traditionally sweet. It is usually made from a simple combination of 1 part sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour.

From there, you can customize adding flavors to your preference. How about rose water shortbread or black sesame shortbread?

And for something very out of the ordinary, try savory parmesan shortbread!

Parmesan Cookie Ingredients

The base ingredients needed for this recipe include the following:

• butter
• confectioners’ sugar (aka powdered sugar)
• kosher salt & black pepper
• all-purpose flour
• grated parmesan cheese
• olive oil (for brushing tops)

From there, you can add additional flavors to your liking.

• Use a mixture of different hard cheeses in place of parmesan. A blend of parmesan, romano, and asiago is wonderful!)
• Recipe calls for caraway seeds, however, fennel, cumin, or dill are great substitutes)
• Maldon sea salt flakes are my go-to. Other equally delicious salt variations include: black lava sea salt, Himalayan sea salt, or delicate fleur de sal (sea salt).

No Special Tools Necessary

Shortbread is super simple and easy to make. Best of all, no special tools such as cookie cutters are necessary.

Simply roll out the dough and use a knife to slice the dough into rectangles or squares.

Brush the tops of shortbread with olive oil. Alternatively, you may use melted butter or other cooking oil of your choice.

Sprinkle caraway seeds and sea salt flakes all over. Bake for about 20 minutes until cookies are golden brown.

Serve these parmesan shortbread cookies warm or at room temperature.

This an adapted recipe inspired from Blue Bottle Coffee. My local Blue Bottle serves delicious pastries and inventive snacks. Typical coffee shop fare include scones, muffins, and cookies.

But, Blue Bottle often has these amazing parmesan shortbread. It sounds like an unusual combination, but this savory shortbread pairs wonderfully with iced coffee!