A close friend's birthday was fast approaching, and I wanted to bake something special for her. Ideas came and went, and the more I thought about the perfect treat the more unsure I became. I wanted it to be a surprise, but did not want to disappoint. So, I decided to ask "What would you like for me to bake you for your birthday?" She thought for just a minute and said, "those cheese thumbprint cookies you made with the hot pepper jelly."
Cheese thumbprint cookies are a savory treat that can be enjoyed for any special occasion. I had baked cheese thumbprint cookies topped with homemade hot pepper jelly earlier this year and shared them. Obviously they were a hit. I searched and searched for the recipe I used, but could not find it. So, what do you do? You google it. I found a similar recipe in the allrecipes.com website but it seemed like it would be very bland. How do I kick it up a notch to make it special? I decided to add mustard powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. The result was a savory cookie that was enjoyed by my friend, and that is all that matters.
Cheese Thumbprint Cookies with Hot Pepper Jelly
.
Ingredients:
2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup all purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes; chilled
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp powdered mustard
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Hot pepper jelly
.
Blend Cheddar cheese, flour, salt, mustard, cayenne pepper, and butter in a food processor until dough is a coarse-meal texture and forms into a ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven; press thumb into top of each ball, creating an indentation. Spoon about 1 teaspoon pepper jelly into indentation. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
The cookies can be stored in a tin lined with parchment paper, and they will be fresh for up to a week. The perfect savory treat for any holiday or special event.
.
#cheesethumbprint #cheesethumbprintcookies #bakingforthoseyoulove #meraki #recipe #bakingrecipe #hotpepperjelly #holidaycookie #holidaybaking #savorycookie