Recipe: Hot Pepper Cheddar Thumbprints

January 28, 2019 Rachel Roades

My husband grew up with a large extended family. I grew up with almost none. Together now we go to countless gatherings with his family- for holidays, birthdays, or just to enjoy everyone's company. Of course, this almost always involves food and the chance for everyone to contribute something delicious. So, I am constantly searching for new dishes to become a requested favorite. I think I've found one.

Thanks to CarolynWG at www.allrecipes.com we've got this savory twist on the classic thumbprint cookie. It's so simple to make, you probably have all the ingredients you need in your kitchen right now.

Look at that- 4 ingredients. Flour, butter, shredded cheese, and Hot Pepper Spread. Quick to put together, a brief chill in the fridge, and ten minutes to bake. If you're busy preparing for company or trying to juggle several dishes at once, this will be a big sigh of relief.

The great thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. I used sharp cheddar cheese with Hot Pepper Spread but any number of combinations of cheese and spreads is possible. If you need a jar, you can order here.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
6 tablespoons cold butter, grated or finely chopped
2 cups shredded cheese
1/4-1/2 cup Hot Pepper Spread
Optional- pinch of Roasted Garlic Sea Salt for added flavor

To make the dough add the butter, flour, and shredded cheese to your food processor. Pulse until you have a coarse, crumbly mixture like a pastry, then blend until the dough forms into a ball. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. I made the mistake of refrigerating overnight which made the dough too hard to work with the next morning and I had to let it sit out for a while before I could proceed. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Next roll the dough into small balls and make an indentation with a teaspoon. Fill the indentation with the Hot Pepper Spread and bake for about 10 minutes. Let cool. Best around room temperature.