Blue Cheese Shortbread Leaves

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cheese blue crumbled
• 3 tablespoons butter softened
• 0.3 cup cornstarch 
• 0.5 cup flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup pecans chopped
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 

Equipment

• food processor
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• wire rack
• plastic wrap

Directions

1. Place chopped pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 32
3. Process blue cheese and butter in a food processor 10 to 15 seconds or until creamy, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
4. Add flour and next 3 ingredients; pulse 9 to 10 times or until the mixture is crumbly.
5. Add toasted pecans; pulse 9 to 10 times or until mixture forms moist clumps.
6. Transfer mixture onto plastic wrap on a flat surface, and gather dough into a ball shape; flatten into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour or until firm.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness.
8. Cut with 1 1/2- and 2-inch leaf-shaped cutters.
9. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
10. Bake at 325 for 16 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown.
11. Transfer to a wire rack; cool 15 minutes.