Rosemary Parmesan Shortbread

I wanted to try making some savory shortbread as a little appetizer for Thanksgiving. I riffed off of my sweet shortbread. The first time, I put far too much flour because I didn't account for not having sugar in there... but the second time, they were delightful! These little babies are salty and smell like the holidays for sure. Also, I will be posting a bonus recipe here where I used this shortbread as a crust for a savory tart, and where I contemplate if that's the only application needed for savory shortbread.. 

For the shortbread:

2 sticks of butter, unsalted, room temp
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 oz (ish) grated parmesan cheese *buy the block, grate it yourself **I say ish because I think I added more, because it's kinda like vanilla, and we measure cheese with our hearts
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
Pinch of black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients to combine.
3. Turn dough out onto parchment and press down with hands until you have a rectangle that's about 1/4 inch thick. *The second time, I did take the parchment off the baking sheet, roll with the rolling pin, and then put the parchment back on the sheet. **Also, I say rectangle loosely. You'll be cutting them anyway, and the excess is a great chef snack!

4.** What I didn't do that I will do next time is go ahead and cut these into squares with a knife or a bench scraper before I bake them so that they resemble neat little crackers. I didn't do this the first time, and they are delicious, but crumbly when you cut.
4. Bake in the oven for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. *If you cut them into smaller squares, the baking time will probably be faster. I will update when I make again!

5. If you didn't cut beforehand, when then come out of the oven, immediately cut into squares. Allow to cool completely before you eat.

Bonus round (Savory Tart):

Use recipe above for the crust, and then you'll need:
6 oz Italian sausage *I used hot Italian sausage
2 white onions
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 c grated parmesan (you should have leftovers from the block anyway)
1 1/2 c (ish) shredded mozzarella
1 clove garlic
*Optional additions- a pinch of red pepper flake and worchestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2.Take your shortbread dough and press it into the bottom of a tart pan or pie pan. Par bake for about 10 - 15 minutes just so that it starts to set up. It will finish cooking with the innards later.

3. In a pan, cook the sausage on medium heat and then remove to a bowl to use later.
4. Chop onions into half moons (like strips, cut the onion in half and then just cut strips... you get what I'm going for right?). Add to the pan that the sausage was cooked in. Add a bit of salt, pepper, and oil. Turn down to a lower heat and allow to caramelize. This does take a bit. I also added a bit of worchestershire, but like I said, that's optional.

5. Combine sausage, onions, cheeses, and parsley in a bowl. Reserve a bit of cheese for the top of the tart.

 6. Put all ingredients in the tart pan on top of the par-baked shortbread dough. Top with reserved cheese.

7. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the crust and the top are lightly golden.
8. Allow to cool for about 15 - 20 minutes before digging in or you will burn everything like I did. I have little patience. This should come as no surprise.