Mushroom & Cheese Shortbread
Some people are skeptical when I talk about this recipe. Mushrooms? In shortbread? Wait, is it sweet? Savory? I don’t get it.
Well, it’s both and you’ll understand once you take a bite.
I originally developed this recipe for a class on mushrooms. I wanted to use mushrooms in a dessert and I didn’t want to use anything too uncommon. Candy caps are likely the most common mushroom used in desserts (I once had a mindblowing candy cap ice cream) but they can be a little hard to track down. Shiitakes, on the other hand, are readily available in most grocery stores.
I’ve taught many, many cooking classes on mushrooms so needless to say my mushroom recipe repertoire is strong. When asked what I wanted to demo at the Santa Cruz Mushroom Festival I thought for about 10 seconds before telling the organizer that this recipe would be ideal. It’s actually 2 recipes in one. The Shiitake Bacon is the first step and the shortbread dough the second.
Feel free to customize depending on your preferences and what you have on hand. I’ve used cheddar cheese in place of Parmesan and both maitakes and king trumpets in lieu of the shiitakes.
INGREDIENTS
8 oz (225g) mushrooms of choice, roughly chopped
1 ¼ tsp salt, divided
Olive oil
2 sticks (225g) salted butter, softened
½ c (55g) powdered sugar
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 c (240g) flour
⅔ c (50g) finely grated Parmesan cheese + extra for dusting
Minced chives & flaky salt for garnish, optional
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a medium bowl mix mushrooms, 1 tsp of salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 30-35 minutes until the mushrooms are lightly browned and fragrant. Flip halfway through to ensure even cooking. Set aside to cool and crisp.
In a mixer add butter and mix using the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes. Add sugar, black pepper and the remaining ¼ tsp of salt and mix for 2 more minutes, scraping the sides down as needed. The mixture should be smooth and homogeneous.
Add in flour, cheese and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the cooled mushrooms. Mix and divide dough into two pieces.
Roll out each piece into a log about 8-10” long. Keep in mind that the greater the width of the log, the larger the shortbread will be. Use your judgment and your personal preference here.
Wrap the logs in plastic wrap or parchment paper and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Unwrap and slice the logs into rounds that are about ¼“ thick. Transfer to a cookie sheet and garnish with chives and flaky salt, if using. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned and smell fragrant. Allow the shortbread to cool for 5-7 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Yield: 24-32 rounds, depending on how they are cut
NOTES
You can use whatever mushrooms you wish but my personal favorites are shiitakes, king trumpets and maitakes.
The dough freezes beautifully. I like to have some on hand in the freezer for guests and shortbread emergencies.