Desserts Recipes

Spanish Olive Shortbread Cookies (Two Ways)

When you think about holiday treats with the kids, it’s all about the cookies isn’t it? Crumbly, buttery, melty shortbread cookies. Mmmm. One thing I love about classic shortbread is that it’s kind of a blank canvas. You can add all sorts of mix-ins to your basic shortbread cookie, like nuts, fruit, chocolate… whatever your cookie-loving heart desires. Me, I love salty and sweet, so I thought I’d try an unusual combination that’s fancy enough for a holiday party or get together, but that the kids will love just as much as their regular holiday cookie.

Are you ready for it? Spanish olive shortbread cookies.

Stay with me here. At first glance you may not think these go together, but I can assure you they do. Sweet, buttery cookie? Check. Savoury olives from Spain? Check. Put them together? A little bit sweet and a little bit salty, these savoury shortbread cookies melt in your mouth. What an amazing way to add a little Spanish flavour to this holiday classic!

Olives from Spain come in so many delicious varieties like plump and meaty Gordals (Spanish for “the fat one”) and the always popular Hijoblancas (Spanish for “white leaf”), but I chose classic stuffed Manzanilla (Spanish for “little apple”) olives for their smooth flavour and red and green Christmas colours!

If you’re looking for a nutritional powerhouse, this is it! These fruit contain the ideal mix of essential vitamins, amino acids, and antioxidants. They’re a great source of fiber and minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, etc.), antioxidant vitamin E to slow down cellular aging, and oleic acid which may help reduce blood pressure.

Best of all, olives from Spain are delicious and oh so versatile. Eat them in pasta, salads, with chicken, with fish, on their own, at the bottom of a martini glass, and even desserts! There’s something for everyone. Take today’s recipe for example. Spanish olive shortbread cookies – done two ways!

Spanish Manzanilla Olive Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup powdered icing sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups gluten-free or all-purpose flour
  • 8 stuffed Manzanilla olives from Spain minced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  • Add flour and minced olives. Mix into a soft dough.
  • Roll dough into a cylinder about 2 1/2" in diameter and chill for 20-30 minutes.
  • Cut dough into rounds about 1/2" thick and place on prepared cookie sheets leaving 1" of space between.
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until cookies are just starting to change colour and the edges and bottom are pale golden brown.
  • Let cool on baking sheets.
Remember when I said that our classic shortbread cookie is like a blank canvas waiting for you to add your own creative touches? Using that same basic recipe, I added cocoa powder, a bit of vanilla, a handful of minced Hojiblanca olives from Spain and transformed our cookies into something completely new!

The kids went cuckoo for cocoa when they tried these. They loved the addition of the rich, salty, ever so slightly bitter Hojiblanca flavours to the sweetness of the chocolate.

Spanish Hojiblanca Olive Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup powdered icing sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups gluten-free or all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 Hojiblanca olives from Spain minced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  • Add flour, cocoa powder, vanilla, and minced olives. Mix into a soft dough.
  • Roll dough into a cylinder about 2 1/2" in diameter and chill for 20-30 minutes.
  • Cut dough into rounds about 1/2" thick and place on prepared cookie sheets leaving 1" of space between.
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes.
  • Let cool on baking sheets.
Try something a little different in your shortbread cookie this Christmas. I think you’ll love this twist on a holiday classic!

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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Olives from Spain. Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are completely honest and based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.

Leave a Comment

7 Comments

  • The recipe for Spanish Hojiblanca Olive Chocolate Shortbread Cookies sounds very unique. I would like to try them without knowing about the olives. That way I wouldn’t prejudge the cookies.

  • This is a unique combination! I have never thought of combining olives and cookies. I do love savory desserts though. I will need to try this.

  • I think this is one of those recipes that sounds odd but after trying it you wonder why you hadn’t thought of it before.I will definitely be making these!

  • I love olives; I’ve had Manzanilla but not the other. Not sure I can find it; also not sure about olives and chocolate.