How Do I Stop The Parmesan Shortbread Dough From Falling Apart? | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

Our answer

Nigella's Parmesan Shortbreads (from NIGELLISSIMA) are small, savoury biscuits that are perfect with pre-dinner drinks or co*cktails. They melt in the mouth and are quite tender, or "short", hence the name.

If you are making the dough in a food processor then you should process until the dough is coming together in clumps. If you are making the dough in a bowl then you need to work the ingredients together until evenly mixed and starting to form clumps. The butter needs to be soft so that the dough binds together. The dough then needs to be kneaded briefly to help to bring it together and it should form into a cylinder. If the dough is still slightly crumbly at this stage then use food wrap to help to form it into a rough cylinder and then use your hands to compress the dough into a firmer cylinder. The warmth of your hands should help the dough to stick together. Once it has formed a firmer dough then wrap tightly in fresh food wrap and refrigerate.