You can’t lose with an appetizer that has cheese and shortbread in the name. Cheddar Cheese Shortbreads can be made ahead and frozen. Thaw and bake when you’re ready to serve.
Christmas is such a great time of the year no matter where you live. We’ve lived in South Florida for over 10 years now and I thought I might miss a bit of the holiday cheer with the warm weather. But I can truly say, I have not missed any of the cold, snow, wind – you know – all that winter stuff.
Even in Florida, we have our annual ugly sweater (t-shirt)/crazy Santa party and every year, our friends get to be my taste testers for new appetizer recipes. One of the fan favorites is my Cheddar Cheese Shortbreads.
I originally called them crackers but when my husband, Vince, took one bite he claimed they were more like a shortbread than a cracker. So Cheddar Cheese Shortbread it is. They have a butter flavor and the consistency of shortbread with the added kick from the cayenne pepper. I made these ahead of time and shaped them into a log and froze them for a couple of days. Then I thawed them in the refrigerator and when they were thawed, I rolled them into little balls and pressed them flat with the bottom of a glass.
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Cheddar Cheese Shortbread
You can’t lose with an appetizer that has cheese and shortbread in the name. Cheddar Cheese Shortbreads can be made ahead and frozen. Thaw and bake when you’re ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 dozen shortbreads 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese – room temperature
- 2 sticks butter – room temperature
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix cheese and butter with a stand or hand mixture.
- Add flour 1/2 cup at a time.
- Add salt, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper – mix until all incorporated.
- Roll dough into small balls (golf ball or smaller size); place on a baking sheet covered with parchment or a non-stick baking pad.
- Press each small ball with a small glass or a shot glass to flatten and make a consistent size.
- Bake for 15-19 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
This dough can be prepared ahead of time and frozen for up to 3 weeks.
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