Reprinted with permission from Basic to Brilliant, Y'all by Virginia Willis (Ten Speed Press 2011).
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: Makes about 4 dozen.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, at room temperature, grated
- 1 cup chopped pecans plus whole pecan halves to garnish
Preparation:
Combine the flour, black pepper, salt, and cayenne in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and 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. To shape the dough, work it in your hands; it should be soft and pliable (like Play-Doh). Shape the dough into two equal cylinders and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Then, working with 1 cylinder at a time, using a utility knife, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake the shortbreads, rotating the baking sheets once, until lightly browned on the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheets to a rack to cool slightly. Using an offset or slotted spatula, remove the individual shortbreads to a rack and cool completely.
Making Ahead Store the savory shortbread at room temperature in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper. They will keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
Brilliant: Short Recipe Pecan Garnish
It’s all about accessorizing. To lift our simple cheese nibble to Brilliant, garnish with pecans. Prepare the dough as directed in the Basic recipe. Roll the edges of each cylinder in 1 cup chopped pecans to coat. Then, when you are ready to bake, slice the shortbread and place on the prepared baking sheets. Top each slice with a perfect pecan half. Bake as directed.
