Savoury Fennel Shortbread
Luxurious crumbly shortbread goes savoury! It features vegan cheddar and fennel seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup grated Angel Food cheddar (block or ready-grated)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (may need slightly more or less)
- Optional: black sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
Method
- 1
1. Place dry ingredients (the first 6 ingredients) in a food processor and pulse a few times to break up the fennel seeds.
- 2
2. Add grated cheese and pulse a few more times.
- 3
3. With the food processor running, gradually drizzle in the oil. You may not need the whole 1/3 cup. Stop occasionally to check the texture – press a little bit together and see if it holds together. If not, add a little more oil.
- 4
4. Tip it into a large bowl and use your hands to stick it all together. Shape it into a log about 6cm diameter. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (you can also make it up to a couple of days in advance).
- 5
5. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 150C.
- 6
6. Slice the chilled log into disks about 8mm thick and arrange on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some black sesame seeds or additional fennel seeds on top if you like.
- 7
7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
- 8
8. Cool and enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for a few days (but enjoy them soon – the fresher the better!).
Notes: I added the black sesame seeds as a visual indication that these aren’t sweet shortbreads. Other flavour variations I’m planning to try are cumin instead of the fennel (inspired by the cumin gouda I used to enjoy before I was vegan), and chilli with smoked paprika.
