Cheddar-Pecan Shortbread Leaves

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter softened
• 0.3 cup cornstarch 
• 0.5 cup flour all-purpose
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper 
• 1 tablespoon half and half 
• 0.3 cup pecans chopped
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Equipment

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

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool completely (about 20 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 32
3. Process 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 mixture is crumbly.
5. Add toasted pecans; pulse 4 to 5 times or until combined.
6. Add half-and-half, and process 10 to 15 seconds or until mixture forms moist clumps.
7. Transfer mixture onto plastic wrap on a flat surface; gather dough into a ball, and flatten into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour until firm, or seal wrapped dough in a zip-top plastic freezer bag, and chill up to 3 days.
8. Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
9. Roll to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness.
10. Cut with 1 1/2- and 2-inch leaf-shaped cutters.
11. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
12. Bake at 325 for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes.
14. Note: You can also freeze thoroughly cooled, baked shortbread leaves in an airtight container. Store in freezer up to 2 weeks.
15. TRY THIS TWIST!
16. Blue Cheese-Pecan Shortbread Leaves: Omit half-and-half. Substitute 1 (4-oz.) container crumbled blue cheese for Cheddar cheese. Prepare recipe as directed, pulsing 9 to 10 times after adding pecans in Step