Basil Shortbread

Basil Shortbread. This idea came about when I was trying to make shortbread cookies that were naturally a vibrant green color. Basil seemed like a great idea. I have seen basil used in desserts before as well. Fresh basil works in these cases, but once you cook the basil, it develops a distinctive savory flavor. It wasn't a total fail though, because I decided to use the shortbread for a canapé base. It has excellent flavor, the perfect texture, and is a beautiful color. To complete the canapé, I topped it with a crumbles feta cheese torte I had made, a piping of tahini tamari sauce, and a cherry tomato half. 

Basil Shortbread
2/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 large handful basil
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

Preheat oven to 325◦F. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor, process the sugar and basil until the sugar is green and no large pieces of basil remain. This creates basil sugar and is quite tasty - I think it would be nice to rim cocktail glasses. It doesn't have that 'cooked' basil flavor yet. Add the butter and cream until smooth. Then add the salt and flour and pulse until just combined.
Press dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes until edges are just beginning to turn brown. Cool, then cut into squares.