Cheddar and Hazelnut Shortbread

• blanched hazelnuts155g g
• cold butter↗110g g

  cut into cubes

• plain flour↗100g g
• aged cheddar↗225g g

  finely grated

• medium egg1

  lightly beaten

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Grind 85 g of hazelnuts in a food processor to a flour‑like consistency. Cut the remaining hazelnuts in half.

2. 2

   Pulse‑mix the ground hazelnuts, butter, flour, cheddar, ½ tsp salt and the egg in a food processor a few times. Do not over‑mix – the mixture should look like crumbs, not clump into a ball. Transfer the mixture onto a large sheet of cling film and, using the film to shape, form a ball, then refrigerate for several hours.

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C/180 °C with convection/gas 6. Scoop portions of dough – about one tablespoon each – and shape each into a ball. Place them on a baking tray and flatten each cookie to about 3.5 cm in diameter, leaving space between them. Press 3‑4 hazelnut halves into each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookie turns golden‑brown. Let cool on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to three days.