Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 1 g sea salt
Wet Ingredients and Flavorings
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 100 g icing sugar
- 15 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- 60 g kalamata olives, pitted and very finely chopped
- 4 g fresh rosemary, leaves only, finely minced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 134 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 36 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 21 mg
- Potassium
- 18 mg
- Calcium
- 6 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 16 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 67 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the finely chopped Kalamata olives on multiple layers of paper towels and press firmly to extract as much moisture as possible. This is critical to prevent soggy spots in the cookies.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and icing sugar together until light, smooth, and fluffy.
Add the heavy cream, minced fresh rosemary, and the dried olive pieces to the creamed butter. Mix on low speed just until evenly distributed.
Gradually add the all-purpose flour and sea salt, mixing on the lowest speed until the dough just begins to clump together and no dry spots remain.
Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form it into a tightly packed log about 5 centimeters in diameter, wrap securely, and twist the ends to seal.
Place the wrapped dough log in the refrigerator to chill until completely firm.
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F and line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the firm dough log from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and use a sharp chef's knife to slice it into rounds approximately 8 millimeters thick. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cookies at 175°C/350°F until the edges are just beginning to turn pale golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Moisture control is the secret to this recipe. Olives bring unwanted water into a high-fat dough, which can activate gluten in the flour and make the shortbread tough. Aggressively drying the olives is a non-negotiable step.
- The small addition of heavy cream enriches the dough, providing a slightly softer, melt-in-the-mouth texture that contrasts beautifully with the chewy bits of olive.
- Use high-quality European-style butter if possible. Because shortbread relies on so few ingredients, an 82 percent butterfat content will significantly elevate the flavor profile.
- For impeccably round cookies, save the cardboard tube from a paper towel roll, slit it lengthwise, and rest your plastic-wrapped dough log inside it while chilling. This prevents a flat bottom from forming as it rests in the fridge.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 weeks — Store in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze baked cookies or the raw dough log well-wrapped.
Troubleshooting
Dough is crumbly and will not form a cohesive log
Cause: Flour was packed tightly when measured or butter was too cold
Fix: Add an extra 5ml of heavy cream and knead gently by hand until the dough holds together
Prevention: Measure flour by weight rather than volume; ensure butter is fully softened
Cookies have soft, soggy spots around the olives
Cause: Olives retained too much brine/moisture before mixing
Fix: Return to the oven at a low heat (120°C/250°F) for 5-10 minutes to crisp up
Prevention: Thoroughly pat the chopped olives dry with paper towels, or briefly microwave to dry them out
Cookies spread flat during baking
Cause: Dough was not chilled long enough or butter became too warm during prep
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but chilling the remaining unbaked slices will prevent further spreading
Prevention: Chill the dough log for at least a full hour until completely rigid before slicing
Cultural Context
Originating from Scotland, shortbread traditionally relies on an ascetic combination of sugar, butter, and oat or wheat flour. This modern adaptation draws heavy inspiration from the Mediterranean pantry, treating the cookie as a canvas for the classic pairing of Kalamata olives and rosemary. It bridges the gap between a pre-dinner savory biscuit and an after-dinner sweet treat.
