125g (4oz) (4 oz) plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
11/4ml (1/4 level tsp) salt
75g (3oz) (3 oz) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
75g (3oz) (3 oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg yolk, plus egg for brushing
Directions
Step 1
Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment. Sift the flour with the salt, then rub in the butter until you have fine crumbs (or pulse in a food processor).
Step 2
Stir in 50g (2oz) Parmesan cheese and the egg yolk and bring the dough together with your hands. (Add a little water if necessary, but take care not to add too much or the biscuits will be tough.) Tip out on to a floured worksurface and knead very lightly until just smooth. Wrap and chill for 20min.
Step 3
Roll out to a thickness of 1cm (1⁄2in) – no thinner or the effect will be spoilt. Using a 2.5cm (1in) fluted biscuit cutter, cut into rounds. Brush the sides of the shortbreads with egg and roll them in the remaining Parmesan cheese. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 4
Bake at 170°C (150°C fan) mark 3 for 20–25min or until cooked and golden. Allow to cool on the tray for 5min then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with...
Baby gherkins and a glass of sherry.
To freeze.
Complete to the end of step 4, then pack and freeze.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
