La Sablésienne Comté AOP & Sesame Savory Shortbread 40g

A good aperitif biscuit should earn its place beside the drinks. This one does it with an ingredient that belongs on a cheese board in its own right: Comté AOP. La Sablésienne folds the cheese and sesame into a short, buttery dough made with wheat flour, butter and eggs, then bakes the little sablés in its Sablé-sur-Sarthe workshop. The result is crisp and crumbly rather than cracker-thin, with a fuller bite than an ordinary salted crisp. Comté supplies the savoury centre; sesame adds a toasty edge and a little textural interest. The ingredient list also includes a small amount of sugar, salt, ammonium bicarbonate and rosemary extract. Nothing about this biscuit asks for a complicated garnish. Its job is to make the first glass feel considered, and it does that rather well. The 40 g sleeve is modest enough for two people at an impromptu drink, or for a small spot on a larger board. Let the biscuits stand apart from wet toppings until serving so their pleasant snap has its moment.

• The first plate: Serve the sablés beside a small dish of Oliviers & Co Artichoke & Green Olive Spread. The spread's soft, briny character gives the crumbly cheese biscuit contrast. Scoop a little just before eating, so the sablé stays crisp. The jar is sold separately.
• A smoky counterpoint: Put Oliviers & Co Eggplant Caviar by Chef Streiff on the same board, but in its own bowl. Its roasted-vegetable depth makes the Comté taste even more savoury. The jar is sold separately.
• No-fuss aperitif: Add sliced cucumber, radishes or a few grapes and pour a dry drink. This is also a smart alternative to bread for a very small cheese plate: guests get cheese flavour in the biscuit itself, without committing to a whole second cheese.

The word sablé usually sends the mind straight to tea. La Sablésienne, founded in Sablé-sur-Sarthe in 1962, has good reason to know that association: the town gave the biscuit its name, and the house has long made the sweet version. Its savory range shows what happens when the same familiar short biscuit is invited to the hour before dinner. Cheese and sesame take the place of fruit pieces or vanilla, while the small round format stays easy to pass around. The maker says this 40 g version is produced in its own workshop. It is a pleasing bit of kitchen logic: keep the craft and change the occasion. That is also why a sleeve of these can be more useful than a grand snack hamper when friends arrive unexpectedly. Open it, find a bowl, and the aperitif is under way.

Ingredients and allergens: Wheat flour, butter (milk), Comté AOP (milk), sugar, eggs, sesame, salt, ammonium bicarbonate, rosemary extract. The maker also notes workshop use of soy and tree nuts.

Store in a cool, dry place, away from heat and moisture.