Cheddar, cayenne & rosemary shortbread

Step by Step

Step 1

Add the flour and cayenne to a food processor with a few grinds of black pepper, then pulse to blend. Tip in the butter and cheese and blend until a dough comes together. It will look like breadcrumbs at first, but continue to pulse and it will quickly and magically form a smooth dough. Once you reach that point, stop. Do not overwork it.

Step 2

Tip the dough onto your work surface and form into an evenly shaped sausage, about 4cm thick. Wrap in greaseproof paper (or reusable wax wrap) and chill for at least 1 hour until firm, or overnight.

Step 3

To bake the biscuits, preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Slice the dough into 0.5cm discs and place at least 3cm apart on the tray. Sprinkle each biscuit with sea salt and a tiny pinch of rosemary, then gently press into the dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes. They should be just lightly golden on the edges.