Stilton Shortbread Biscuits
Stilton Shortbread Biscuits are richly flavoured with butter, classic English blue cheese, and a hint of black pepper. With a texture that’s light, delicate, and crumbly, you can enjoy them as a snack, a nibble with drinks, or give as a fantastic present for foodies. But no one will guess that these moreish, melt-in-the mouth, piquant cheese shortbreads are so simple to make!
Can be chilled or even frozen at various stages, to bake or re-warm later, so they’re great to make ahead.
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I should perhaps add a warning to this recipe. Because after you’ve eaten one of these light, buttery, Stilton Shortbread Biscuits, I guarantee you’ll struggle not to pick up another. Then another. And another!
Which is fine if you fancy a bit of self-indulgence. But as they’re so good, it would be a shame not to share with friends and family at get-togethers with drinks and nibbles. A gift bag of Stilton Shortbread Biscuits also makes a fantastic foodie present, especially at Christmas.
Thankfully though, if you can’t quite restrain yourself, then it takes next to no time to whip up another batch of these insanely good, melt-in-the-mouth savoury treats.
STILTON SHORTBREAD BISCUITS
I’ve been making Parmesan shortbread biscuits, adapted from Nigella Lawson’s version of an Australian recipe, for a number of years. Light, very cheesy, and satisfyingly chunky, they’re lovely to eat on their own or, like my thinner Parmesan & Cheddar Biscuits, great with drinks.
I’ve now made a new version of the shortbread though. And I think it might just be even nicer! As with Parmesan, Stilton (or another good quality blue cheese like Staffordshire-made Dovedale Blue) gives the shortbread a cheesy, salty tang. But the creamy cheese also adds an extra dimension: the particular pungency that lovers of blue cheeses will adore.
Besides the stilton, the only other ingredients you’ll need are plain flour, butter, and an egg yolk, Although the cheese can be quite salty, I still like to add a little pinch of salt. I also intensify the piquant flavour with a generous grind of black pepper.
As you’ll see, as well as just a handful of everyday ingredients, the method for Stilton Shortbread Biscuits is simple too. No rolling pin or biscuit cutters required!
You’ll find ingredient amounts and full instructions in the recipe card at the end. But I recommend you read this blog post first for extra tips and step-by-step images.
MAKING THE DOUGH FOR STILTON SHORTBREAD BISCUITS
I highly recommend you use a food processor for this recipe. That way, the dough is made in a couple of minutes. Although you could mix the ingredients by hand, it’ll take some doing. That’s because you’re incorporating flour into a larger combined amount of butter and cheese (it’s usually the other way around with things like shortcrust pastry).
You just put all the ingredients into the food processor, switch on, and whizz until they come together. Don’t be tempted to add water to speed things up. Just keep going and a dough will form. Take the dough out and, if it’s not completely smooth, give it a brief knead. As the dough’s really easy to work with, you shouldn’t need to add extra flour at any point.
Next, divide the dough in half, using digital scales for accuracy. Now roll each piece into a cylindrical log that’s 14 centimetres long and has a diameter of 3 centimetres. Flatten the ends by upending on the worksurface and gently tapping.
Each log is then wrapped in a piece of cling film. Tear off a sheet that’s wider than the log is long, wrap it up, then twist the ends to close like a Christmas cracker. Taking hold of the ends, roll each log up and down the work surface a few times to get it as even as possible.
You’ll form the biscuits by slicing rounds off the logs. So we can do this without squidging up the nice round shape, chill the dough in the fridge. Allow at least 30 minutes for the dough to become very firm. If you’re inclined, turn the logs over a couple of times to prevent the underside flattening. If it’s more convenient, you can chill for a longer period or even freeze.
CUTTING OUT & BAKING
Before cutting out the Stilton Shortbread Biscuits, preheat your oven to the temperature shown in the recipe card.
When ready to bake, unwrap the dough logs and get yourself a sharp knife. Cut into slices 1 centimetre thick. As you made the log 14 centimetres long, you’ll get 14 biscuits from each one, so 28 in total.
Transfer the biscuits to non-stick or lined baking trays, leaving space between them as they’ll spread a little. I like to grind over more black pepper before putting in the oven. If you prefer to prep the biscuits in advance and bake later, then you could chill them again or even freeze if you like.
Bake the shortbreads until they’re light golden brown. In my oven this takes 17 minutes. Timings can vary though, so allow approximately 15 – 20 minutes the first time you make them. When done, transfer to a wire rack where they’ll firm up a little more. I challenge you not to eat one almost immediately!
Once completely cold, you can store them in an airtight container where they’ll keep for up to a week. Again though, they can be frozen if you want to make ahead. The biscuits are also great lightly reheated and refreshed in a low oven or air fryer for a few minutes, or even for thirty or so seconds in the microwave.
DELICIOUS & EASY STILTON SHORTBREAD BISCUITS
So quick and easy, I really hope you’ll give these Stilton Shortbread Biscuits a try. You’ll first notice the deliciously buttery cheesy flavour and melt-in-the-mouth texture. Then the blue cheese flavour comes through with its robust piquancy complemented by a hint of warmth from black pepper.
Wonderful as a snack or nibble on their own or with cheeseboards, these rather special little biscuits are great for sharing at get-togethers. While Stilton is the traditional partner to port at Christmas, I’ve been enjoying the shortbreads with a wonderfully rich single malt Scotch whisky from The Moorland Distiller.
So much more thoughtful than buying gifts off the shelf, a batch of Stilton Shortbread Biscuits popped into a tin or bag is sure to be appreciated by cheese lovers, despite it being a relatively inexpensive gift.
As I write, we’re not far off the start of December. For many people, that means lots of Christmas baking. So, why not get ahead and have a few logs of the super-easy dough tucked away in the freezer, ready to defrost, slice and bake to delight guests, or as a last-minute gift?
If you’ve made this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please do leave a comment and rating.
Stilton Shortbread Biscuits
Richly flavoured with butter, classic English blue cheese, and a hint of black pepper, enjoy these easy but light, delicate, and crumbly cheese shortbreads as a snack, a nibble with drinks, or give as a thoughtful homemade present.
It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe.
Ingredients
- 150 g plain flour
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
- 100 g butter (salted or not)
- 75 g Stilton cheese (roughly crumbled)
- 1 small egg yolk
Instructions
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Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until they come together into a dough: don't be tempted to add water, just keep processing until you have a dough.
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Briefly knead until smooth then divide in half (use digital scales for accuracy).
Roll each piece into a cylindrical log 14 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. Flatten the ends.
Wrap each log in a piece of cling film wider then the log is long, then twist the ends to close like a Christmas cracker. Holding the ends, roll each log up and down the work surface a few times to get it as even as possible.
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Put the logs in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes until they're very firm. If you remember, turn the logs a couple of times to prevent a flat underside.
Logs can be frozen at this point and defrosted overnight in the fridge when needed..
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C /160°Fan /Gas 4 /350° F.
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Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap.
Take a sharp knife and cut each log into 14 slices: if you rolled it out to 14 cm then each slice should be 1 cm thick.
Transfer to non-stick or lined baking trays, leaving space between the biscuits to spread a little. Optional: grind over more black pepper.
Tip: biscuits can also be chilled again or frozen at this stage.
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Put in the oven and bake until light golden brown: approx. 15 - 20 min.
Transfer to a wire rack until completely cold where they'll firm up a little.
Should keep in an airtight container for up to a week, or can be frozen.
Delicious reheated/refreshed for a few minutes in a low oven or air fryer, or approximately 30 seconds in a microwave.
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Made these lovely stilton biscuits today sorry but they are all gone: on my second batch. They really are delicious, no need to buy biscuits for cheese from the super market. look what moorlands eater have they always turn out perfect. 5 star, no for me it’s 10 star + gain thanks for another great recipe.
I guess you liked them then, Bryan!
Thanks so much!