Cheese Shortbread Cookies

Cookies

Only 3 ingredients, that's all you need to make these Cheese Shortbread Cookies; butter, flour and Pecorino Romano cheese. Yes, it's true, for 3 ingredients you'll get not only an amazing tasting snack, your kitchen will be filled with a delicious aroma as well.

By Marinka
June 27, 2023

These cookies, also known as cheese coins, are addictive, easy to make, difficult to resist. They will disappear from your fridge or cookie tin before you know it.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

  • Salted butter
  • Pecorino Romano cheese
  • Flour
  • Fresh thyme – or rosemary or sage

How to Make Cheese Shortbread Cookies

Cheese Shortbread dough rolled in plastic wrap to cook in fridge

Step 1 – Mix the ingredients, by using a food processor, a pastry cutter or just your hands. Don’t over-mix, but do make sure that it is well-mixed. If you want a fresh herb in your cookie, this is the time to add the herb, finely chopped. Then roll the dough into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and place the log in the fridge.

It does not have to be beautiful, nothing fancy, just roll it up, nobody will see this. Once the dough is cool (in about an hour) it will be easier to cut; the thickness of that log will be the diameter of your cookie. My log is about 1.25 inches in thickness. Cut the log into cookies of approx. 1/3 inch thick. This comes out in approx. 20 cookies.

Step 2 – Place the raw cookies on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or with a nonstick silicone baking mat. If you didn’t add the herbs into the dough, you can still sprinkle them onto the cookies for just some extra flavor.

Baking sheet with baking mat and unbaked cheese shortbread cookies
Baked cheese shortbread cookies on baking sheet and on counter

Step 3 – Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven of 350 degrees F for about 12 minutes.

During these 12 minutes your kitchen will be filled with a lovely aroma and after another 30 minutes, you can start enjoying these Cheese Shortbread Cookies.

5 cheese shortbread cookies

Try the recipe and let me know what you think.

Cheese Shortbread Cookies
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Cheese Shortbread Cookies

Author: Marinka
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Egg-free, Nut-free, Vegetarian
Servings: 20 cookies
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Ingredients
 

  • 80 grams salted butter
  • 80 grams Pecorino Romano Cheese, finely grated
  • 80 grams all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tablespoons rosemary, thyme, sage, optional

Instructions
 

Dough

  • Place butter, flour and cheese in a bowl and mix. Use a food processor, a pastry cutter or your hands. (NOTE 1 and 2)
  • Mix well, but don't over mix. If you want to add some herbs as part of the cookies dough. This is the time to add finely chopped herbs.
  • Roll the dough into a log of approx. 1.2 inches. Make 1 or 2 logs, whatever is easier to work with. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and place the logs in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Cookies

  • Heat your over to 350 degrees F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
  • Cut the logs in 'coins' of about 1/3 inch thickness and place them on your baking sheet. (NOTE 3)
  • Slide the baking sheet in the over and bake the cookies for approx. 12 minutes or until they have a light golden color. (NOTE 4)
  • Cool cookies for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack for further cooling.

Notes

  1. If you’re using unsalted butter, please add 1 teaspoon of salt
  2. Instead of Pecorino Romano, you can use Parmigiano Reggiano. Make sure you use a high quality cheese, it makes all the difference in the flavor of your cookies.
  3. If you didn’t mix finely chopped herbs into the dough, you have a second option to sprinkle herbs on top of the cookies, before they go into the oven.
  4. Bake a little longer, an additional 5 minutes for slightly crunchier flavor and darker color. Please don’t burn them.

Nutrition

Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 74mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.04g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Join the Conversation

  1. CP MCKenzie says:

    Question… can you use this dough as a mini tart shell?

    1. Hello CP; thank you for asking. It’s actually a nice idea to use the dough for making tart shells. I have not tried that, but I cannot think of a reason why it wouldn’t work. The cookies are a little crumbly, so if you have a silicone mold or a non-stick one that may be helpful.

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