Ever want to have something super bouijie and extra, but also don’t want to spend the effort, time, or money on it? Me too…me too. That’s why I give you these stupid easy, beautiful, and most importantly delicious herb shortbreads! Why is this recipe better than others out there? Because these shortbreads come with a secret ingredient, hehe!
They are perfectly crumbly, slightly cheesy, super aromatic, and absolutely adorable! They make anything look fancy, and taste like you spent hours on it. When, let’s be real…lol they take 20 mins tops.
Most importantly, they are easy to customize. I am someone who doesn’t follow recipes to the T, aka I end up subbing, swapping, and changing things on the fly. Because let’s face it when you are missing one or two ingredients it feels like a total bummer to miss out on an entire recipe.
So, I always like to add alternatives and make changes – if you only have 100g of parmesan, not a big deal, or if you have only basil, still fine!
The nice thing about these shortbreads too, is that they are just all-around forgiving. If the butter melts too much during kneading, that’s ok, pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and you’re golden. If your herbs aren’t sticking perfectly – that’s ok too, just pat in with your finger, it’ll still look beautiful in the end!
The Secret Ingredient
The best thing for this recipe that I actually didn’t expect to make SUCH an impact, is truffle salt! I’m using a brand called Kanel (which we can buy local for $8). Amazon has some great options, and usually most gourmet or specialty grocery stores have a variety of these available.
Don’t. Hesitate. Invest! Yes, it’s expensive salt, but you need SO little and it goes such a long way! I’ve been using the same tiny box for months now and still have a few months of use in it. It makes an incredible impact! It’s fresh, nutty, and just filled with that truffle-y goodness that you crave at a fancy restaurant for a fraction of the cost!
You want your shortbread dough to be without lumps, that’s most important thing. Rolling it out, even if it has some tears to the edges, luckily doesn’t matter! Just cut out your shapes with a cookie cutter (or in my case a jar top), and re-roll and roll again. It’s SO forgiving.
When pressing in the herbs, try and get it to stay put. My advice would be to use a rolling pin FIRST, and THEN cut out the shapes. I used three methods when doing trial runs of this recipe, and I found that cutting shapes and pressing in after was a mistake – just takes twice as long to not mess up the circle.
When baking, you can bake until darker in finish, but I prefer them slightly golden. That really allows the parmesan to shine and the aromatics not to burn away.
And that’s it! You just combine the dough, roll it out, press herbs in with the salt, cut out, and bake! DONE.
They make stunning little gift bundles, and look so extravagant, although they are honestly no more of a challenge than peanut butter cookies.
So here’s the simple breakdown of the recipe. If you have any questions give me a shout and I’ll be happy to respond and help! I love these shortbreads so much, and I hope you do too!
Savory Herb Shortbreads
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups AP flour
- 1 cup parmesan cheese (I find fresh works better than ground)
- 2 tbsp rosemary leaves (chopped)
- 1 tsp truffle salt (separate into 2 piles)
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup salted butter (if unsalted, add ¼ tsp of salt) – cut into cubes
- 1 bunch whole herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, dill, etc – any work)
Instructions
FOOD PROCESSOR OPTION
- Combine flour, cheese, herbs, spices and butter and pulse 25-35 times until crumbly. Continue pulsing for 15-20 seconds, to form dough. Add tiny bit of water gradually if too dry.
- Remove dough and place onto countertop, work into a flat disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. It should resemble pie dough.
- Continue to PART 2
BY HAND OPTION
- Combine flour and butter, and using your hands work the butter into the flour until no large crumbs remain. Biggest chunks should be smaller than a pea. (You can also use a fork at this stage). Add in cheese, herbs, and spices and continue working it in with hands (or fork). Dough should start coming together (it's okay if it's crumbly).
- Wet hands slightly and knead the dough. Add tiny bit of water as needed, until the dough resembles a pie crust dough.
- Flatten into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
PART 2
- Preheat oven to 350° F
- Roll out dough gently (it may break, which is ok!) just keep rolling it over itself until it starts to spread smoothly into roughly ¼" thickness.
- Place herbs and sprinkle truffle salt on top. Roll over with rolling pin to press in.
- Cut into desired shapes.
- Lay out the shortbreads onto a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
- Allow to bake for 11-15 minutes, or until golden edges show.
- Cool completely.
