Parmesan and Rosemary Shortbread

Make buttery parmesan and rosemary shortbread with this easy slice and bake recipe, including freeze ahead dough instructions, flavour variations and homemade gifting ideas.

10/19/20263 min read

Freshly baked savory rosemary shortbread cookies served on a white polka dot plate with fresh herb sprigs.

Parmesan and Rosemary Shortbread

A Savoury Biscuit for the Drinks Table

Shortbread doesn't have to be sweet. This version is buttery and crumbly, with salty parmesan, fragrant rosemary and a little black pepper, and it's the sort of biscuit that disappears from a drinks platter in minutes.

It makes a lovely gift for the person who has plenty of chocolate and sweet treats at Christmas and would love something different.

The best part is that it's a slice-and-bake recipe. You make the dough once, roll it into logs and chill or freeze it, and then slice and bake when you need them. You can make the logs weeks ahead and bake fresh biscuits in the week before Christmas, so they're at their best when given.

There's no rolling pin, no cutters and no mess.

Suits both a summer and a winter Christmas. Make the dough logs any time from early November and freeze them, then bake the biscuits in the last week before Christmas.

A troubleshooting guide table for Parmesan and Rosemary shortbread biscuits listing problems and solutions.

Packaging and Gifting

Biscuits that are rich in butter and cheese are fragile, so pack them carefully. A sturdy tin or a box with a lid is best.

Line the tin with baking paper, then stack the biscuits on their sides in neat rows, like a roll of coins. Fill any gaps with a little scrunched baking paper, so they can't slide around.

Don't pack them until they're completely cool, as steam will make them soft.

To decorate, tie a ribbon and a sprig of fresh rosemary around the tin, and finish with a kraft tag. You could also wrap a stack of biscuits in baking paper, then in cellophane.

A frozen dough log makes a clever gift. Wrap a log tightly, and give it frozen with a note on how to bake it. It's a lovely gift for a busy person who would like fresh biscuits on a day they choose. Hand it over on the day, and tell them to keep it in the freezer or fridge. Since it contains butter and cheese, it needs to stay cold.

Label wording for the biscuits:

Parmesan and Rosemary Shortbread. Baked on [date]. Best within 5 days. Keep in an airtight tin in a cool place. Contains wheat (gluten), milk (butter, parmesan).

Label wording for a dough log:

Parmesan and Rosemary Shortbread Dough. Made on [date]. Keep frozen for up to 3 months, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. To bake: slice into 8 mm rounds, place on a lined tray and bake at 180°C (160°C fan-forced, 350°F) for 15 to 18 minutes. Contains wheat (gluten), milk (butter, parmesan).

Allergen note: these biscuits contain wheat (gluten) and dairy (butter and parmesan). Parmesan is traditionally made with animal rennet, so it's not strictly vegetarian, though some brands use vegetarian rennet. Check the label if that matters to the person you are giving it to.

Lovely things to pair them with:

• A wedge of cheese, or a small jar of chutney or quince paste

• A bottle of sparkling wine, or a bottle of sparkling apple juice

• A small wooden board and a cheese knife

Storage and Shelf Life

Baked biscuits keep for about 5 days in an airtight tin, in a cool place. Because they contain butter and cheese, they don't last as long as plain shortbread, so bake them close to the day you give them. In hot weather, keep the tin in the fridge, and let the biscuits come to room temperature before serving.

The unbaked dough log keeps for up to 3 months in the freezer, and up to 3 days in the fridge. If the biscuits smell stale or sour, throw them out. Don't refreeze a log that has fully thawed.

Making It With the Kids/Grandkids

• Ages 3 and up: pull the rosemary leaves from the stalks, stir in the cheese and pepper, and decorate the tags.

• Ages 5 and up: press the dough into a ball and roll the logs with the baking paper, and arrange slices on the trays.

• Ages 7 and up: grate the cheese with a box grater, with an adult close by. Graters scrape knuckles.

• Adults only: chopping the rosemary, slicing the logs, and the hot oven and trays.

Check for allergies to wheat and dairy first.

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This post is part of my Edible Gifts From the Kitchen series. You will find more edible gift ideas, along with loads of Christmas recipes here.

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With love, Kim xx

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