Parmesan Shortbread Canapes Nigella Food

ROSEMARY PARMESAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Put the flour, sugar, rosemary, salt, and Parmesan into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse just until a soft dough forms; the dough should hold together when squeezed with your hands. If not, add the water and pulse until combined.
• Spread a large sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface and transfer the dough onto it. Using the plastic wrap as a guide, form the dough into a loose log along 1 edge of the long side of the sheet. Roll the dough log, twisting the plastic gathered at the ends in opposite directions until the log is tight and compact, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Slice the dough log into 1/3-inch thick slices and arrange on the lined sheets, about 1-inch apart. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Cool the shortbread on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store the shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.

PARMESAN SHORTBREAD CANAPES (NIGELLA)

Steps:

• Blitz to a clump in mixer. Divide into two. Roll into sausage and wrap in clingfilm. Pop in fridge to chill 45 mins. Slice into discs pound coin thick. 20 mins in oven 180 degrees.

PARMESAN SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients together - using bowl and spoon, electric mixer or food processor as wished - until a golden dough begins to form a clump. Turn it out onto a surface and knead for about 30 seconds until smooth, then divide into two. Take the first half and, using your hands, roll it into a cylinder, as uniform as possible without stressing over it, about 3cm / 1¼ inches in diameter. Make sure the ends are flat, too, so that the cylinder resembles a roll of coins. Now roll this up in a piece of clingfilm, twisting the clingfilm at the ends, like a Christmas cracker, and put the roll in the fridge, then proceed in the same way with the remaining half of the dough. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350ºF while the wrapped cylinders of dough rest in the fridge for about 45 minutes, by which time you should be able to cut them into thick slices easily: aim for about 1cm / ½ inch thick. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes, when they should be just beginning to turn a pale gold at the edges. Remove from the oven, then leave to cool (if you can) before eating.

PARMESAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• preheat oven to 300F.
• cream the butter until very soft and mix in the rest of ingredients until they all come together.
• roll out into a sausage shape 9 inches long.
• rest in fridge for 30 mins or more.
• slice thinly and cook on greased tray for 20-25 mins until light golden brown.

PARMESAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Line an 8 inch square pan with buttered foil.
• Beat all ingredients except flour in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and creamy, 3-4 minutes.
• Add flour and continue to mix at lowest speed until smooth dough forms.
• Scrape dough into pan and press evenly with the back of a spoon.
• Pierce dough randomly with a floured fork.
• Bake 35 minutes until firm.
• Let cool slightly then invert pan over your cutting board.
• Remove the foil and cut the shortbread into 2 inch squares.

VANILLA SHORTBREAD BISCUITS NIGELLA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3.
• 2. Put the icing sugar, plain flour and cornflour into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the double-bladed knife and give them a quick blitz (just to save you sieving, which is my most-hated job in the kitchen) before adding the butter along with the vanilla seeds you've scraped out of a pod. (I find the easiest way to do this is by cutting the pod in half across, and then splitting each short half lengthwise and prising out the seeds with the point and edge of a sharp knife. Don't even think of throwing the deseeded bits of pod away: stash them in a jar of caster to use next time a recipe requires vanilla sugar.).
• 3. Process again until the soft mixture coheres and begins to form a ball, loosely clumping around the blade. Turn this out on to a Swiss roll tin and press to form an even (or as even as you can make it) layer, using fingers or the back of a spoon, or both. Be patient: I promise you it will fit smoothly.
• 4. Using the tip of a sharp knife cut the pressed-out shortbread into fingers. I make two incisions lengthways - ie to form three layers - and then make ten cuts down - so that you end up with eleven fingers per layer. Obviously, the aim should be to cut at regular intervals but don't start getting your ruler out. Just go by eye: uniformity is the province of the conveyer belt not of home cooking. Use the tines of a fork to make little holes in each marked-out biscuit: I press down about three times, diagonally, on each finger.
• 5. Now that you've pressed, incised, and punctured, slide the Swiss roll tin into the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, by which time the shortbread will be pale still, but not doughy. Expect a little goldenness around the edges, but shortbread should be not crisp but melting. Remove the tin from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes or so, before removing, with a palette knife and your fingers, to a wire rack. Sprinkle with sugar and leave them to cool completely before storing in a tin.