Best Cheddar Shortbread Recipes

SCOTTISH SHARP-CHEDDAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Using electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat together butter, salt, black pepper, and cayenne at low speed just until blended. Add Cheddar and flour and mix at low speed just until smooth (do not overmix). Shape dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and chill 30 minutes.
• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch-thick round. Using 1 1/2- to 2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds and arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Reroll scraps if desired (rerolled scraps will be tougher).
• Bake shortbread until lightly golden and beginning to brown on edges, about 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

CHEDDAR SHORTBREAD ROUNDS

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, and spices in a food processor. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add cheese and process until dough starts to hold together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half, and roll into logs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough into 1/4 inch-thick slices and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly browned. Let cool completely on cookie sheets; remove. Store in an airtight container.

CHEDDAR SHORTBREAD BITES

Steps:

• Combine flour, butter, salt and red pepper in medium bowl; beat at medium speed until dough forms. Add cheese; mix until a ball forms. Shape dough into circle; wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350°F Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. (It will be hard to roll at first, but will soften. Press together any cracks that form on edges of dough.) Cut dough with 1 1/2-inch cookie cutters or pizza cutter into desired shapes. Place onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Beat egg white and water together in small bowl. Brush cut-outs with egg wash; sprinkle with seeds.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until very lightly browned around edges. Immediately loosen from pan; let cool on pan.
• Recipe Tip
• Shortbread can be topped with a variety of other ingredients such as chili powder, seasoned salt, fennel seed or herbs.

CHEDDAR SHORTBREAD BITES (CRACKERS)

Steps:

• Combine flour, butter, salt and red pepper in medium bowl; beat at medium speed until dough forms.
• Add cheese; mix until a ball forms.
• Shape dough into circle; wrap in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350.
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. (It will be hard to roll at first, but will soften. Press together any cracks that form on edges of dough.).
• Cut dough with 1 1/2-inch cookie cutters or pizza cutter into desired shapes.
• Place onto ungreased baking sheets.
• If toppings wanted:.
• Beat one egg white and water together in small bowl. Brush cut-outs with egg wash; sprinkle with seeds.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until very lightly browned around edges. Immediately loosen from pan; let cool on pan.
• Variations: Shortbread bites can be topped with variety of other ingredients such as chili powder, seasoned salt, fennel seed or herbs.

CHEDDAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Combine butter, mustard, and pepper in food processor, and whirl to combine. Add cheese and whirl again to mix.
• Add flour and pulse just until blended.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface, to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with desired small cookie cutter and transfer to cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom.

CHEDDAR & HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Blitz 85g of the hazelnuts in a food processor until ground. Cut the rest of the hazelnuts in half.
• Pulse the ground hazelnuts, butter, flour, cheddar, ½ tsp salt and the egg in the food processor a few times. Don't pulse for too long - you want the mixture to look like breadcrumbs rather than coming together in a ball. Tip the mixture onto a large piece of cling film and, using the cling film to shape it, mould it into a ball, then leave in the fridge for a couple of hours.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pull off chunks of the dough - about a tablespoon at a time - and roll each piece into a ball. Place on a baking sheet and flatten each biscuit to around 3.5cm across, leaving room between each one. Push 3-4 hazelnut halves into each biscuit. Cook for 10 mins, or until the biscuits are golden brown. Leave to cool on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack. Will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.

PEPPER AND CHEDDAR SHORTBREAD CANAPéS WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Stir flour and pepper together in a medium-sized bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
• On low speed, beat in cheddar until just blended.
• Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in half of flour mixture, then milk, then remaining flour mixture, until moistened (batter will be very thick).
• Turn out on to a pastry board or the counter and finish mixing with hands and pat into a disc shape
• Place disc between 2 sheets of waxed paper and roll out to about 1/4-inch thick, or about 12 inches in diameter.
• Using a 2-inch cookie cutter (preferably with decorative serrated edge), cut out rounds and place on prepared baking sheet.
• Re-roll scraps, cut out rounds and place on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in 2 batches.
• Place each baking sheet in centre of preheated 325F oven.
• Bake until are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes.
• Cool for 5 minutes before transferring shortbreads to rack, using a metal spatula, to cool to room temperature.
• In medium bowl, stir together sour cream and salmon.
• Spoon rounded teaspoons onto centre of each shortbread.
• Garnish each shortbread with a dill sprig.

JALAPENO-CHEDDAR SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300F. In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, gradually beat in sugar until smooth and creamy. In smaller bowl, stir cheddar into flour, add pepper and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture just until combined. Shape dough into 3/4" balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets, 1" apart. Flatten slightly before baking for 15-18 minutes, until cookies are light golden in color, and feel set to the touch. Cool on racks. Store tightly covered in fridge or freezer, up to several months.

CHEDDAR APPLE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Apple Butter Melt 2 TB Butter in a saucepan. Add apples, sugar, spices and lemon zest. Cook covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook at a simmer until the apples are tender,around 45-60 minutes. Remove from heat, place in blender and puree the mixture. While it is still warm, add the remaining butter. Cool completely. Blend 4 TB sugar and salt in processor. Cut in butter using on/off turns until blended and smooth. Cut in grated cheese. Add flour and process until blended but still slightly crumbly, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Dough will look like meal. Gather dough into ball; shape into log. If dough is too dry to come together add a tablespoon of icewater. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 275°F. Slice logs into rounds no wider than ½ inch wide. Top each with a dollop of apple butter and finish with a sliver of butter and a sprinke of pecans. Bake shortbread 50-65 minutes minutes. Rotate pans once if your oven cooks unevenly.Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes and remove to racks.

HOMESTEAD CHEDDAR PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Place flour, pepper, salt, and cayenne in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and cheese and process until smooth. Cover the work bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside to rest for about 15 minutes. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Work the dough in your hands (it should be soft and pliable like Play-Doh), and shape it into 2 equal cylinders, 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Place the crushed pecan pieces on a rimmed cookie sheet, and roll each cylinder in the nuts. Wrap each cylinder tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Position oven racks in the top and bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter two baking sheets, or line them with silicone baking liners or parchment paper. While the oven heats, working with one cylinder at a time, cut each cylinder into ¼-inch-thick slices, and place slices 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Place a pecan half in the center of each slice. Bake the shortbread, rotating the baking sheets once, until they are lightly browned at the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove cookies from the baking sheet, and set on a rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight tin or plasticware between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper.