Day 6 … Apricot Tarragon Savory Shortbread

Continuing on this cracker journey, and more specifically this savory shortbread journey, today we’ll take that base shortbread dough and add some fruit and herbs. First up was a spiced, salty olive version, today is dried apricots and tarragon.

I don’t use tarragon that much, and I don’t really know why. It’s just lovely. Pretty. If a flavor can be pretty, tarragon is firmly in the pretty camp with lavender, rose and lemon verbena. It pairs quite nicely with dried apricots too and works very well in this shortbread combining the sweet and the salty wonderfully.

Now this is one you have to keep an eye on in the oven. Bake a smidge too long and it’s not that the cookies will over brown, the apricots will. They’ll go from a pretty orange to a dark brown in no time. It’s the damndest thing. Tastes fine though.

Don’t like the apricot-tarragon combination? Mix it up. Dried cranberry-rosemary. Dried cherry-sage. Golden raisin-thyme. Whatever strikes your fancy and what you find in the cabinet. Again, the beauty of this kind of thing. Can you use dry herbs instead of fresh? …sure? I will say that I greatly prefer fresh tarragon over dried. The latter always tastes weak and dusty to me but use what you have but use the general rule of fresh vs. dried; half as much.

To start: base cracker doughs
Day 1: Cheddar Old Bay Crackers
Day 2: Blue Cheese & Fig Crackers
Day 3: Goat Cheese & Chive Crackers
Day 4: Parmesan & Rosemary Crackers
Day 5: Mediterranean Olive Shortbread

APRICOT & TARRAGON SHORTBREAD
Makes about 7-8 dozen depending on the shape of the log and how thickly cut

¼ savory shortbread base dough, room temperature
¼ cup dried apricots, finely diced (1.5oz)
1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1. Into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, break the base dough into several small pieces.
2. Add the tarragon and pepper and mix on low until everything starts to work in – maybe 30 seconds or so. Do not overmix.
3. Add the chopped apricots and mix on low until just combined, about another 30 seconds or so.
4. Divide the dough in half and form each into a rough log.
5. Place one log on a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap and roll back and forth to shape into a smooth log. For a round log, roll back and forth the smooth out the edges. For triangle log, run your fingers back and down the length to shape into a long triangle. For a square log, do the same, smoothing down four sides to create a long square log. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes until firm (or freeze for longer storage.)
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven.
7. Remove one dough sheet from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and cut ¼” thick slices rotating the log to prevent any flat sides (important more so for a round log).
8. Transfer shapes to a parchment lined sheet pan, ¼” apart.
9. Bake for 9-10 minutes until golden brown and firm, rotating the pans front-to-back and top-to-bottom halfway through baking. Keep an eye on them – they go from perfect to over-browned in seconds.
10. Slide the parchment from the sheet pan and let the crackers cool on a wire rack.
11. Crackers will keep, tightly wrapped, for 5 days.
12. Do ahead: you have a bunch of options. Remember the holidays are stressful enough. Don’t add to it if you can help it.

• Base dough: refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months
• Flavored logs: refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months

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