theantiqueappetite

Were your parents really into Imperial Cheese growing up or just mine? My mom used to always make these savory crackers with it and I honestly had to leave the house when she was making them because I was so sickened by the smell. Not sure what that was about.

So inspired by my mom’s party standard I decided to test out an alternative version of the cheesy party cookie. They are freaking delicious. They almost turned out like a small fluffy biscuit. The sprinkle of sea salt on the top solidified these cookies as a frequent repeater.

As a side note, vegan Worcestershire sauce is available commercially but I didn’t have the opportunity to shop around for an option. I made an easy version myself that you can find below. It is very important that you let it cool completely before you use it in this recipe or else it will soften the butter.

Enjoy recipe number one in my holiday baking guide.

1 1/8 c. all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

½ c (1 stick) Earth Balance butter substitute sticks, cut into small cubes

1 c. Daiya cheddar cheese shreads

1/4 c. almond milk

1/2 tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

sea salt

Add flour and cayenne pepper to a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter and continue to pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. That usually takes under 15 seconds.

Add Daiya to the food processor and pulse until combined. If you are using a mini food processor like mine, push the Daiya down into the dough first. Transfer the mixture to a medium sized bowl.

Using a fork, stir in almond milk and vegan Worcestershire sauce until well combined.

Form mixture into one 1-inch-diameter log with the help of a piece of parchment. Keep the log wrapped in the paper and put it into the refrigerator. Chill until very firm. At least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the log from the refrigerator, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. If the circles lost a bit of their shape when cutting through the log, reshape them with your hands. Place the rounds on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each with a pinch of sea salt.

Bake the shortbread until golden, about 17 minutes. Serve them at your holiday party on their own or with a nice savory jelly.

Don’t forget you can follow The Antique Appetite on Twitter @antiqueappetite, friend me on Facebook AND subscribe to the blog by clicking the link on the right! Also I have a new Pinterest page with links to some of my other favourite vegan recipes.