Savoury chive and Comté (cheese) Christmas biscuits
Christmas gifting is never hard with versatile hard cheeses. Ellie and Sam Studd share a recipe that takes care of your cheese-loving friends… as well as that cheese in the back of your fridge.
What you need to know before you start
You will need some kitchen equipment to make these savoury Christmas biscuits at home. This includes a food processor, baking trays and baking paper. There’s no need for Christmas biscuit cutters as the dough is rolled into a log and sliced into 0.5cm slices to form rounds. You’ll also need access to an oven and a box grater for the cheese.
If you don't have a food processor, you can still easily make the dough by hand. Simply combine the flours, cayenne pepper and chopped butter in a large bowl. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until a sandy texture. Add water and lightly knead the dough until it just comes together. Start in the bowl, then tip the dough onto a lightly floured benchtop and knead into a ball.
These bites make excellent edible gifts, so you may need extra baking paper and twine to package up the biscuits for friends and family. To take things to the next level, collect bows, ribbons and tags for elevated gifting.
Why is this the best savoury chive and Comté Christmas biscuits recipe?
You’ll love the rich cheese and herb flavour of these homemade biscuits. Comté, a semi-hard cheese, has a lovely nutty and slightly smoky flavour with hints of sweet fruity notes to balance the freshness of the chives and the kick from the cayenne pepper. While Christmas biscuits are often on the sweeter side, this savoury take on a festive staple is a great option for those who don’t have a sweet tooth or want to change things up. If the heat isn’t right for you, feel free to omit the cayenne pepper.
This savoury biscuit recipe is also a great way to use up any leftover hard cheese sitting in your fridge, so nothing goes to waste.
What toppings go on savoury biscuits?
Get inventive in the kitchen and top your homemade savoury Christmas biscuits with an array of different ingredients. These can include:
- Brie with cranberry relish
- Honey roasted figs with chilli flakes
- Hard cheddar with quince paste
- Prosciutto and a dollop of ricotta
What ingredients you’ll need
Plain flour: Plain flour adds structure to the biscuits and is necessary to hold everything together.
Self-raising flour: This acts as a leavening agent to help the biscuits rise with a light and fluffy texture.
Cayenne pepper: A touch of cayenne pepper adds a kick of heat while helping to balance the richness from the cheese and butter.
Cultured butter: We opt for cultured butter over regular butter for its fuller flavour that contributes to the richness and savouriness of these Christmas biscuits.
Comté: Comté offers a nutty, creamy and slightly sweet aroma to add depth for a more flavourful biscuit. If you don’t have access to comte, use other hard cheeses like Gruyere, cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, manchego or Grana Padano.
Chives: Fresh chives provide a mild onion-like flavour.
How to keep savoury biscuits from crumbling
These biscuits are beautifully short and will melt in your mouth due to the high butter and cheese content. When rolling into a log, if the dough is too crumbly, it's usually because there’s too much flour. To avoid this from happening, follow our measurements of 1 cup flour, 2 tbs self-raising flour, 125g butter and 1-2 tbs water.
Ensure the butter has been well processed with the flour to allow for even distribution, as otherwise you could end up with a dry and dense biscuit. If you find the dough isn’t coming together, feel free to add a touch more water.
How to store savoury chive and Comté Christmas biscuits
Store leftover savoury herb and cheese biscuits in an airtight container to keep them fresher for longer. They will last roughly 1 week in the fridge,1-2 days on your benchtop and up to 3 months in the freezer. If you’re choosing the freezer, take the extra step to tightly wrap any biscuits in a layer of aluminium foil or plastic wrap.
What to serve with savoury chive and Comté Christmas biscuits
We love adding these savoury chive and Comté biscuits to a festive cheese board. Serve it on a large platter alongside soft cheese, cured meats, olives, a peach chutney and a pickled vegetable relish. For an easy finger food option, top each Christmas biscuit with crumbly blue cheese and a thin slice of apple.
If you love our savoury chive and Comté Christmas biscuits recipe, try this
In the mood for Christmas baking? Turn up your favourite festive tunes and get in the kitchen to make a selection of our favourite sweet and savoury Christmas biscuit recipes:
Ingredients (6)
- 1 cup (150g) plain flour
- 2 tbs self-raising flour
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 125g cultured butter, chopped, at room temperature
- 1 cup (90g) coarsely grated Comté (or other hard cheese)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
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1.Whiz flours, cayenne pepper and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles crumbs. Add cheese and 1-2 tbs water and process until mixture just comes together. On a floured surface, knead chives into dough until smooth. Shape dough into a 30cm long roll, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for 1 hour to chill.
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2.Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease 2 large baking trays and line with baking paper. Cut dough into 0.5cm slices and place on prepared trays. Bake biscuits for 10 minutes or until browned lightly. Set aside to cool completely on the trays.
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3.This is the fun part: get your creativity on! Wrap these guys in baking paper, add a festive bow or Christmas decoration, or simply tie each package off with some kitchen string. Write a cute card and gift to loved ones. Or just enjoy as is with friends.
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