The Void and Neztra

I've never made shortbread in my life. I've never even heard of Scottish Sharp Cheddar Shortbread. When I located this recipe on epicurious.com it was so different a concept that I just had to try it.

Remember last week when I said I love chocolate? Well, cheese is in the same category for me. Not only are there so many varieties of delicious cheese in the world that I have probably only scratched the surface as far as the flavors I have personally tried, but cheese is such a versatile ingredient in baked food that one could dedicate a lifetime to understanding the potential goodness of each style of cheese.

I personal favorites are Gruyere, Aged Swiss, and Asiago - the harder, sharp cheeses that seem to dance on the pallet like fine wine. I've made some of the best fondues with a mixture of Gruyere and Swiss, but that is another story for another day.

This Scottish Sharp-Cheddar Shortbread recipe was so easy that I would even recommend it as something to bake with your kids. The ingredients are simple and the steps are few and fun.

I did stray from the recipe slightly. I added a little more cayenne than recommended to bring out the sharpness of the cheese and ended up not finding as dry a cheddar as I would have liked. I also cut the shortbread into squares instead of circles to avoid wasting dough and having to reroll it out, which, as the recipe states, makes the resulting shortbread a bit stiffer and not as delicate.

The resulting flavor was similar to popular White Cheddar cheese crackers, but the flavor was much more complex and the texture was, as the recipe title suggests, similar to a regular shortbread cookie.

These treats were a perfect compliment to the Creamy Tomato Basil Soup I made the same night and a glass of Gewurztraminer - A perfect trio for a February night.

Scottish Sharp-Cheddar Shortbread
Courtesy of Epicurious.com

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Pinch of cayenne pepper
* 8 ounces extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
* 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Using electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat together butter, salt, black pepper, and cayenne at low speed just until blended. Add Cheddar and flour and mix at low speed just until smooth (do not over mix). Shape dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and chill 30 minutes.

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch-thick round. Using 1 1/2- to 2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds and arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Reroll scraps if desired (rerolled scraps will be tougher).

Bake shortbread until lightly golden and beginning to brown on edges, about 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Cook's Notes:

•Look for a sharp, white Cheddar that is on the dry side, such as English Wensleydale Farmhouse Truckle or Extra Old Black Diamond Cheddar.
•It's important not to whip air into the dough — simply mix until blended.