Parmesan shortbread cookies or Parmesan sablés, are delicious savoury cookies made from only a few ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.
This rich, crumbly, cheesy shortbread is the perfect snack for wine and can be served with other snack type foods like lemony olives, homemade biltong, and spiced cashews.
What is sablé Parmesan
It’s a cheesy cookie.
The word sablé is French for sandy. It refers to the texture you get when rubbing flour and butter together.
Pro knowledge - The vital step in making almost any bakery that has a crumbly texture. This is because the fat covers the individual flour “grains” and prevent gluten from tightening the baked mass into a stronger more chewy structure. Hence the crumbly(short) - like in shortbread - texture.
Sablés was first created in the French town of Sablé-sur-Sarthe, Western France in the 16th century. Parmesan or savoury versions followed their sweet versions much later.
The funny fact. All the American and English versions of cookies and biscuits had their roots firmly grounded in French cuisine. Like many other modern-day baked goods.
What makes these the perfect snack
Think Cheesy, flaky, crumbly crunchiness. All the things that a perfect nibble for wine or beer should be. Even without the booze. Your kids are going to love you for these. Forever. They will probably never move out of the house.
It does not matter if you are a seasoned baker or a cooking-impotent bachelor. Throwing together 3 ingredients. Making little cookie shapes and baking them at 170°C or 338°F for 12 minutes, is probably the easiest recipe anyone can cook.
If you don’t have kids or you don’t like people. Then, these are perfect for you. Life sucks when you are lonely. With this recipe for parmesan shortbread cookies, you have a friend for life.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend bored with you? Then make these Parmesan shortbread biscuits for sunset snacks and drinks. Romantic and cheesy. Perfect. You know you love it.
Like the saying goes “ a friend in need is a friend indeed”.
Useful equipment
Electronic Kitchen Scales
Baking Sheets
Silicone Spatula
Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
Instructions
- Weigh out butter and flour.
- Grate Parmesan or similar cheese like Grana Padano on a fine grated.
- Mix together the butter and flour until it resembles sand(Sablé). Add the Parmesan. Add smoked paprika (Optional but nessesary), Dijon mustard and a touch of salt if you using unsalted butter.
- Form a homogenous dough ball.
- Heat the oven to 170°C or 338°F.
- Weigh out 10 gram pieces for small cookies or 20 gram pieces for larger cookies. If the dough gets too hot chill it in the fridge for a few minutes. Afterwards, shape each piece like a flat hockey puck. Place them onto a greaseproof lined baking tray or silicone baking mat.
- With the back of a fork press down onto the cookies to make a criss-cross pattern. It helps by dipping the fork into some water so that the fork doesn’t stick to the biscuits.
- Chill them down for 5 minutes then brush them with a bit of egg wash(1 egg + 50 grams water). This makes them shine like glazed cookies and adds a small amount of crispiness.
- Place your egg-washed or not parmesan shortbread cookies into the oven and set a timer for 12 minutes. Keep an eye on them to see how they are coming along.
When they are done remove them from the oven and chill on a wire rack.
Tips for success
- Try and work as lightly and quickly as possible. Baked goods like cookies, biscuits, and scones hate being overworked and it’s vital the butter does not melt out of the dough.
- Always chill biscuits or cookies well before baking.
- Once cooked make sure to cool them down completely before storing airtight in a cool dry place.
- The raw dough can be frozen and stored for future use. Simply thaw in the fridge before shaping and baking.
Frequently asked questions
Can be made 3 to 4 days in advance.
Stored airtight and keep at room temperature for up to two weeks. For longer storage store in the freezer for up the 3 months.
For longer storage store in the freezer for up the 3 months.
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Recipe
Parmesan Cookies
Ingredients
- 200 g (⅞ cups) butter
- 230 g (1 ⅚ cups) all-purpose flour
- 200 g (2 cups) Parmesan cheese
- 1 g (⅕ teaspoon) smoked paprika
- 8 g (1 ⅗ teaspoon) Dijon mustard
- 6 g (1 teaspoon) salt
- 1 (1) egg
- 50 g (⅕ cups) milk
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 170°C or 338°F.
- Grate some Parmesan or similar cheese like Grana Padano on a fine grater.200 g Parmesan cheese
- Mix together butter and flour until it resembles sand(Sablé).230 g all-purpose flour, 200 g butter
- Add the Parmesan, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard and salt.200 g Parmesan cheese, 1 g smoked paprika, 8 g Dijon mustard, 6 g salt
- Form a homogenous dough ball. Try and work as light and quick as possible. Baked goods like cookies, biscuits, scones etc hate being overworked and it’s vital the butter does not melt.
- Weigh out 20 gram pieces of dough and place onto a tray lined with parchment paper.
- If the dough gets too hot chill it in the fridge for a few minutes.
- Afterwards shape each piece like a flat hockey puck and place them back onto the parchemnet lined baking tray.
- With the back of a fork press down onto the cookies to make a criss-cross pattern.
- It helps by dipping the fork into some water so that the fork don’t stick to the biscuits.
- Chill for 5 minutes.
- Make the eggwash by mixing the egg with the milk until homogenous.1 egg, 50 g milk
- Brush each cookie lightly with egg wash. This makes them shine and adds a small amount of crispiness.
- Place them into the oven and set a timer for 12 minutes. Keep an eye on them to see how they are coming along.
- When they are done remove from the oven and chill on a wire rack.
Notes
- Make sure the dough is always well chilled until the minute you put it in the oven.
- You can easily scale this recipe up or down to make more or less.
- The raw dough can be frozen for future use.
- Store airtight at room temperature for up to a week.
- Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Tamira Houston
I'm so happy to find these recipes thanks so much for sharing you're such a great cook and Baker
Garnett
Can't wait to make these! I'm wondering if I could use all purpose einkorn flour instead of regular all purpose flour? I have family who tolerate the einkorn flours much better than regular flour. Thanks for your help and all the great recipes!
Charlé Visser
Sure thing! Any flour will work. Have made these gluten-free too just substituting the regular flour.
Garnett
Thanks! Will try with the einkorn flour this week.