CHEDDAR APPLE SHORTBREAD

CHEDDAR APPLE SHORTBREAD image

Number Of Ingredients 15

Apple Butter
4 TB Unsalted Butter
6 Granny Smith Apples peeled, cored, and chopped
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
Zest from 1/2 lemon
Shortbread
4 TB Sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces plus extra for dotting cookies.
12 oz cheddar cheese coarsely grated
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped pecans

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.