Put the flour, cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Add the chunks of soft butter and pulse to combine into a crumbly mixture. Process until the dough comes together, this should not take longer than 30-60 seconds. If the dough does not come together, add a tiny bit of water to the bowl. Start with 1/2 tsp and process again.
Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and bring together into a smooth, flat disk, just like you do with pie crust dough. The dough should be smooth and uniform, without dry floury parts. Knead it with your hands if necessary. Wrap the disk in the plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat your oven to 350F. Roll out the o=dough to about 1/4 to 1/8" thickness. I do this between two sheets of waxed paper and it works like a charm - not sticking. If you want to laminate herbs onto the surface of the dough, lay them out onto the dough, leaving space between. Put the waxed paper back over the top and lightly roll with your rolling pin to press the herbs right into the dough. Use a 2" round cookie cutter to cut out your circles. Remove the dough and place on a baking sheet.
Reform the leftover dough, roll and repeat until all the dough is used. Bake the shortbread for 10-15 minutes, until they are just starting to turn pale golden brown around the edges. Cool for a few minutes on the pan, and then place on a rack. The shortbread will firm us as it cools.
