The lady that prepared my takeaway food from an Italian restaurant last week was over generous with the Parmesan Cheese she gave me. There was small takeaway container full – generous – or careless – it was probably meant for that big order prepared before mine.

This Parmesan was the pre-milled stuff – and call me a food snob if you wish but I always grate my own cheese from the block and I never buy the ‘powder’ unless I have no choice. So with SO MUCH on hand I had to do something. And throwing it away was not an option. (Although for this lot it did cross my mind…..)

With an excess of Parmesan powder, I Googled some Parmesan Cheese recipes, and Google took me to Nigella’s website and specifically – to her Parmesan Shortbread recipe. I have seen this recipe before in her book Nigellissima but never thought to try it.

Since I had all the basic ingredients on hand including the powdered Parmesan, I got my mixer out and started to mix.

The recipe and method can be found here on Nigella’s website. I won’t bother copying here but I will show some photos of the different steps.

One tip I do have is to be patient – when all the ingredients are in the mixer, for a while it seems like it won’t come together. As Nigella would say – ‘HAVE FAITH’ – because true enough, it will come together.

I have to warn you thought that the initial smell that eminates from the oven is reminiscent of baby vomit – and if you have an open plan house – you house will smell as such.

I recommend you eat them a day or two afterwards where the softness is equalised through the entire biscuit – it really is melt in your mouth delicious!