Description
These Chili Cheese Savory Shortbread Bites are buttery, crumbly, and packed with a blend of strong cheddar, Parmesan, and Gruyere cheeses. Enhanced with chili flakes and fresh rosemary, these elegant shortbread stars deliver a perfect balance of cheesy richness and a subtle spicy kick. Ideal for holiday entertaining or as a sophisticated snack, they are easy to make using a food processor and bake until golden and crisp.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheeses
- 100g strong cheddar (1 cup)
- 50g Parmesan (1/2 cup)
- 50g Gruyere (1/2 cup)
Dry Ingredients & Spices
- 220g all-purpose flour (1 1/4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon za'atar (or dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
Fresh Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Fats
- 210g unsalted butter, cold and sliced into cubes
Instructions
- Shred the Cheese: Slice the cheddar, Parmesan, and Gruyere into smaller pieces and place them in a food processor. Blitz until the cheese is finely shredded.
- Make the Dough: Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, chili flakes, za'atar, salt, cold cubed butter, and chopped fresh rosemary to the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture forms a soft, lumpy dough that clumps together. If the dough is too dry, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of cold water. If too greasy, add 1 tablespoon of extra flour.
- Roll Out Dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rough rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut the Shapes: Use a star-shaped cookie cutter or any preferred shape to cut the dough into cookies. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting until all dough is used. If the dough becomes sticky, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Chill the Cookies: Place the cut cookies onto a lined baking tray. Chill the tray in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes. This step helps the cookies keep their shape during baking.
- Preheat Oven: While chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C fan).
- Bake the Cookies: Transfer the chilled tray of cookies to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the edges are golden while the tops remain slightly pale.
- Cool the Cookies: Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies cool on the tray for about 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely and become crisp.
Notes
- For best results, weigh your ingredients to ensure accurate measurements for perfect texture.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can make this dough by hand by rubbing the cold butter into the flour and cheese mixture until it forms a dough.
- Chilling the dough and cookies is key to managing stickiness and preserving cookie shape during baking.
- These savory bites pair wonderfully with wines and make great holiday gifts or party snacks.
- Use a star cookie cutter for festive presentation, but any cookie cutter shape works.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 cookies
- Calories: 177 calories
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 103 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.8 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
