Feta cheese shortbreads

By Kitchen Butterfly • March 4, 2010 • 3 Comments

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Feta cheese shortbreads — 1 of 3 Photo by Kitchen Butterfly

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Author Notes: I am a fan of shortbread because the dough is very easy to make and transform into a variety of cookies. Available today - some topped with crushed cumin, others with mint sugar and still more with - both! Also some have dried mint in them, and others fresh! The addition of semolina gives extra crunchy cookies. If it is not available, use all-purpose flour. - Kitchen Butterfly - Kitchen Butterfly

Food52 Review: I am steadily becoming convinced that nearly anything will be delicious in shortbread, and these tasty little morsels definitely served to confirm that opinion. Kitchen Butterfly takes a somewhat unexpected trio of ingredients, and wraps them all into a tender, buttery dough where they mellow out and play well together while still giving you a flavorful surprise with each bite. Warm and fresh out of the oven, they were a perfect afternoon snack. We had friends around, and my batch didn't even make it long enough to try Kitchen Butterfly's refrigerator storage tip! – fiveandspice - A&M

Serves not sure, but makes about 30 cookies!

200g softened unsalted butter
85g caster sugar
250g plain/all-purpose flour
50g semolina flour
100g Feta cheese
Zest of 1 blood orange or 2 tablespoons chopped candied blood orange
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon fresh mint, chopped
Crushed cumin seeds
Mint sugar, made by combining 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves and 1 tablespoon sugar in mortar

Using a wooden spoon, mix the butter and sugar in a bowl till soft; and then slowly add the flour(s), 100g at a time.
If it is difficult to incorporate the flour, turn out on a work surface and gently bring together. Add the feta cheese and the orange zest/chunks and combine.
Split the dough in two and add dried mint to half and fresh mint to the other half. Form each portion into a log, about 1-2 inches diameter.
Place the 'logs' in the fridge and leave to chill for about half an hour.
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees centigrade. Grease and flour a tray in readiness for the cookies
Bring out the logs and using a sharp knife, slice into rounds, about a third of an inch thick. Place these dough rounds on a cookie sheet, leaving about an inch between each. You may have to make them in batches (if making them in batches, keep the dough refrigerated till needed).
Sprinkle some tops with dry cumin and others with mint sugar (which will form its own minty crust)
Bake in the centre of the oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until the edges begin to turn light brown in colour.
Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. Enjoy! To keep them crisp, I pop them in a ziploc/container and refrigerate.