Blue Cheese Thumbprints Recipes

BLUE CHEESE THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Beat blue cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add flour, poppy seeds, and red pepper, beating just until combined.
• Roll dough into 3/4 inch round balls; cover and chill 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Arrange balls on an ungreased baking sheet and press your thumb into each ball of dough, leaving an indentation.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Place about 1/4 tsp of cherry preserves in each indentation.

CHEESECAKE THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt, and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add 1 egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and remaining 1/4 cup sugar on medium speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and egg yolk; beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour, mixing until just combined.
• Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls, and place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Using the lightly floured end of a thick wooden spoon handle (or your thumb), make an indentation in the center of each ball.
• Bake 10 minutes; remove from oven and make indentations again. Rotate sheets, return to oven, and bake until edges of cookies begin to turn golden, 7 to 9 minutes more. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Using a small teaspoon, fill the center of each cookie with about 1 teaspoon creamcheese filling, mounding it slightly. Return cookies to the oven, and bake until the filling is firm, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container, layered between waxed or parchment paper, at least 4 hours before serving (cookies can be refrigerated overnight).
• In a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt 2 ounces semisweet chocolate; let cool. Follow instructions for Cheesecake Thumbprints, adding melted chocolate to butter mixture along with the egg yolk and salt. Reduce the flour by 3 tablespoons, and whisk with 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder before adding to the dough. (The edges of these cookies will be firm to the touch when baked)
• The floured handle of a wooden spoon is pressed into each ball of cookie dough to make an indentation.
• A rich cheesecake filling is added to the centers after the cookies are partially baked.

CHEESY THUMBPRINT APPETIZERS WITH HOT PEPPER JELLY

Steps:

• Blend Cheddar cheese, flour, 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.

BLUE CHEESE AND RED ONION JAM CRESCENT THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In small bowl, mix cream cheese and Gorgonzola cheese with fork until blended.
• If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 2 rectangles, each about 11 inches long. Place 1 rectangle on cutting board; press perforations together to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut lengthwise into 2 rectangles, each about 11 inches long. Place one rectangle on cutting board.
• Spread half of the cheese mixture over dough to within 1/2 inch of long sides; sprinkle half of the pecans evenly over cheese. Starting at 1 long side, roll up; press seam to seal. Cut roll into 16 (about 3/4-inch) slices with serrated knife; place cut sides down on ungreased large cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, cheese and pecans.
• Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly brown. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar, preserves (breaking up large pieces of fruit if necessary) and thyme; set aside.
• After removing rolls from oven, immediately press back of a teaspoon into center of each roll to make small indentation. Spoon slightly less than 1/2 teaspoon onion jam into each indentation. Remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.