Parmesan Shortbread – Great Savory Treats Served with Champagne

Christmas is finished and now it’s time to gear up for New Year’s Eve. New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite holidays, if not my favorite. Since I had my first baby 17 years ago, that holiday has been spent at home toasting in the new year with my little family, and the kids are always up to bring in the new year. New Year’s Eve is family for me. When they were younger they took a long nap before the ball dropped but always toasted the new year with us. We adults had champagne (on those years that I wasn’t pregnant lol), and the kids had sparkling cider. Always in my best crystal, because…what’s the point in having it if you never use it?

I think the kids love this night even when they were little, and not just because the littles stayed up really late and toasted in the new year with the bigs – but that I always fix up something fun to nibble on while we watch the ball drop. I have my standard fixings that I change up year to year: sometimes baked brie in puff pastry, marinated olives, hummus or a tapenade with things to dip in, deviled eggs, veggie fritters or vegetable tempura, or maybe sliced honey and mustard crusted baked ham and cheese on homemade crackers. Manchego is my all time favorite cheese, so I like to find a good chunk and serve that as well. No matter what the menu is though, fresh made gougères are always there because I love them and the kids always ask for them – and they’re fun to eat.

This year, I’m adding Parmesan shortbreads to the mix. I’m a big Nigella Lawson fan and this recipe is divine. I can’t find another word for it. Reminiscent of the things sweet shortbread is: crisp, solid yet light, and very buttery. And the Parmesan light and savory flavor matches perfectly with a glass of champagne or white wine.

Watch how she makes them below, and try the recipe. Yums all around.