Black Pepper Shortbread Cookies with Strawberries and Meyer Lemon Ricotta
Delicate black-pepper shortbread fingers paired with a bright Meyer-lemon ricotta dip and fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
Dip
- 1 Meyer lemon
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Black Pepper Shortbread
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups flour, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 50 grinds black pepper, plus extra for topping
- ricotta cheese (for dip)
- strawberries, for serving
Instructions
Dip
- Microplane lemon zest into ricotta; add lemon juice, sugar, a pinch of salt, and one grind of black pepper. Refrigerate.
Shortbread
- Cream butter and confectioners' sugar. Beat in lemon juice, zest, and vanilla.
- Sift flour with salt and pepper; mix into butter until combined. Flatten dough into a square, wrap, and refrigerate 3 hours.
- Roll half the dough at a time to 1/4 inch between parchment. Prick holes, cut into ~3×1.5-inch rectangles, grind pepper on top.
- Bake at 300°F until pale golden, about 20 minutes. Serve with dip and strawberries.
