Chorizo & Parmesan shortbread recipe

I learned to craft these lovely little bites during a cooking class at the original Le Cordon Bleu in Paris (more on that below).  Many a Parmesan shortbread recipe stop at the cheese, but this version calls for the addition of spicy + smoky chorizo sausage. Not only do they bake up tender and buttery, the chorizo gives the shortbreads a wonderful kick.

When in Paris

The Edible Times Husband produces content for Tennis Channel, which means A LOT of travel. So when it suits my taste (and the budget), I tag along. And somehow find myself taking recreational classes at Le Cordon Bleu. And let me be clear I'm playing it fast and loose with use of the word "recreational". The decorated chefs that teach classes for food enthusiasts and tourists are No. Joke. As if they forget they now have a kitchen full of tourists on holiday, as opposed to their enrolled students who signed up for torture.

Shortbread Chef - who I only ever responded to with Oiu, Chef! for safety's sake - moved like the wind around the tiny teaching kitchen. In goes the flour! Rub in the butter! Ingredients hit the bowl faster than you can blink, and before you know it perfectly shaped morsels are entering the oven at a some celsius temperature I can only guess was around 350 degrees F. Don't let the humor fool you. The experience is as terrifying as it is enjoyable. But even if you only grasp half of what's being taught among the plumes of flour and hasty translations, you'll learn much about French cuisine.

The key to a successful Parmesan shortbread recipe

This won't be the first or last time I'll write this in the worldwide blogosphere - ingredients matter. And the French are perhaps the most fervent advocates of sourcing prized, beautiful ingredients.

For any Parmesan-containing recipe, you can use pre-grated cheese as long as it's the real deal. That powdered mystery cheese with cellulose won't meet the mark here. As they say it won't kill you (Shortbread Chef might), but it doesn't make for an edible time either.

Know where to look

Find a good chorizo at your local specialty markets charcuterie and cheese counter. If you can't find chorizo, any dried or smoked summer sausage will take any shortbread to that ultimate level of delicate deliciousness. Once you're there, be careful. You'll never eat just one.

Yours in shortbread,

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