Gouda cheese shortbread cookies

Pulse the butter with a pinch of salt in a food processor.

Add the almond flour and process until just combined.

Add the egg (or two yolks), then the flour in two halves, with a few drops of tabasco.

Wrap the dough and chill completely before rolling. It keeps up to 4 days refrigerated or for weeks frozen.

Working with half the dough at a time, dust the surface with flour, work the dough until pliable and roll it to a 5 mm disc. If it cracks, work it a little more without adding much flour, or the cookies turn tough; return it to the fridge if it softens.

Cut, brush with egg white and top with grated parmigiano. Bake at 400F / 200C for about 10 minutes.

Variation: for shortbread bars, roll two-thirds of the dough into an 8 by 12 inch (20 by 30 cm) rectangle and cut 16 bars of 5 by 1 inch. Brush with egg wash, top with parmigiano, pre-bake 5 minutes, cut again so they do not stick, then bake 5 minutes more until golden and crisp.