PARMESAN & HERBS SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Judging by the quantity of sweet recipes I post, some of you might think that I am only passionate about desserts and such kinds of sweet food. That isn't quite true. Although I must confess to having developped a sweet tooth over the years, I still very much love savory food. The truth is I can't live without one or the other! Just like Yin and Yang, they are indispensable, inseparable, complementary and very important to me...

So, this Wednesday, instead of sharing with you a recipe that'll cause your blood sugar to rise, I've decided to blog about a gourmet and terribly addictive appetizer which might effect your cholesterol level instead!

Homemade appetizer cookies are fantastic as they can be made sing a variety of flavors/ingredients and are generally more scrumptious as well as healthier than the store-bought ones. Not forgetting that summer is the perfect season for outdoor happy hours and picnics, so it is for that reason that I thought you'd like to discover a wonderful Barefoot Contessa recipe for "Parmesan & Italian Herbs Shortbread Cookies" (free adaptation), which I came across while surfing on a blog called "64 Sq ft Kitchen" (USA).

Those "Parmesan & Italian Herbs Shortbread Cookies" are some of the best savory crackers I've made so far as they are irresistibly rich, mouthwateringly cheesy, delightfully herby and incredibly flaky. Not only are do they have a lot of character and a hooking flavor, but they also look really cute and classy with their black and white sesame seed decorations.

Be assured that once you have baked a batch of those delicate savory shortbreads, you'll never go back to buying those, dry, cardboard-tasting, bland, transfat and terrifyingly noxious industrial crackers again!

~ Parmesan, Italian Herbs & Sesame Seed Shorbread Cookies"
Recipe freely adapted from Barefoot Contessa.

Yields about 25-30 shortbread cookies.

Ingredients:
1 Stick (120g) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Tbs Olive oil
3 Oz (90g) Freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/4 Cups (160g) All-purpose flour
1/4 Tsp Sea salt
1 Tbs Dried Italian herbs (mix)
1/2 Tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/2 Tsp Freshly ground black pepper
Enough Black and white sesame seeds for garnishing the cookies

Method:
1. In a bowl, mix the butter and olive oil until creamy.
2. Add the Parmesan, flour, salt, herbs, garlic powder and black pepper and mix to combine in order to get a dough.
3. Put the dough into a floured surface and shape it into a 13-inch long log.
4. Wrap the dough, roll the log in the sesame seeds and freeze it for 30min (or until needed/you will still be able to slice it).
5. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into ½ inch thick discs.
6. Arrange the cookies on a sheet pan, lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180° C (350° F) oven for about 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
7. Let cool on a rack.

Remarks:
If you don't have any Parmiggiano Reggiano, then you can use Grana Padano, pecorino or cheddar.

Serving suggestions:
Serve as an apetizer with artisan bier, white wine, cherry tomatoes and grapes.

***************

~ Sablés aux Parmesan, Herbes Italiennes & Graines De Sésame ~
Adaptée librement de Barefoot Contessa.

Pour 25-30 biscuits.

Ingrédients:
120g de Beurre non-salé, à température ambiante
2 CS d'Huile d'Olive
90g de Parmesan fraîchement rapé
1 1/4 Tasses (160g) de Farine blanche/fleur
1/4 de CC de Sel de mer
1 CS d'Herbes Italiennes
1/2 CS d'Ail en poudre (en option)
1/2 CC de Poivre noir fraîchement moulu
Sufisemment de graines de sésame noir et blanche pour la garniture

Méthode:

1. Dans un bol, mélanger le beurre mou jusqu’à ce qu’il devienne crémeux.
2. Ajouter l'huile d'olive, le parmesan, le sel, la farine, le poivre noir, les herbes et l'ail.
3. Mélanger le tout jusqu’à obtention d’une pâte.
4. Mettre la pâte sur une surface légèrement farinée et former en boudin d’une longeur de 33 centimètres, puis le rouler dans les graines de sésame.
5. Mettre la pâte dans un film plastique et l'entreposer au congelateur pendant 30 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que vous en ayez besoin.

6. A l’aide d’un couteau bien éguisé, couper le boudin en disques d’un centimètre et demi d’épaisseur.
7. Arranger les biscuits sur une plaque recouverte de papier sulfurisé.
8. Faites cuire dans un four préchauffé à 180° C pendant 20 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les bords des biscuits deviennent légèrement dorés.
9. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Remarques:
Si vous n'avez pas de Parmesan, vous pouvez utiliser du Grana Padano, du pecorino ou du cheddar.

Idées de présentation:
A servir lors de l'apéritif avec de la bonne bière artisanale, du vin et du raisin.