Savory Parmesan Thumbprints Recipes

SAVORY PARMESAN THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• Combine 1 cup butter and sugar in bowl; beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour and Parmesan. Beat at low speed until well mixed. Mixture may be crumbly. Knead dough slightly just until it comes together.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb or back of spoon. Edges may crack slightly.
• Bake 9-11 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely.
• Fill each thumbprint indentation with about 1 teaspoon desired jam. Serve immediately.
• To Make Bacon Balsamic Onion Jam:Cook bacon in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes or until browned and cooked; add onions. Continue cooking 3-5 minutes or until onions are softened; add all remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture just comes to a boil. Continue cooking 35-40 minutes until almost all liquid is evaporated. Store any leftover jam in airtight container in refrigerator.
• To Make Tomato Rosemary Onion Jam:Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat; add onions. Cook 3-5 minutes or until slightly softened; add brown sugar, tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes or until almost all liquid is evaporated and jam is slightly thickened. Stir in remaining rosemary. Store any leftover jam in airtight container in refrigerator.
• To Make Apricot Onion Jam:Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat; add onions. Cook 3-5 minutes or until slightly softened; add apricots, brown sugar, honey and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes or until almost all liquid is evaporated and jam is slightly thickened. Store any leftover jam in airtight container in refrigerator.

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.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES (SAVORY CHEDDAR)

Steps:

• In food processor, pulse together Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and butter until smooth.
• Add egg yolk and pepper; pulse until blended.
• Add flour; pulse just until soft dough forms.
• Place pecans on plate.
• Place 1 cup water in bowl.
• With hands, roll scant tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls.
• Wet balls with water; roll in nuts to coat pressing nuts lightly into dough ball.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet.
• With thumb or finger, make indentation in center of each.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Bake in center of 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until firm outside and lightly golden.
• Let cool on baking sheet.
• (Can be prepared to this point and frozen in layers separated by waxed paper in rigid airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Bake in 350°F oven for about 3 minutes to recrisp).
• Fill indentations with hot pepper jelly.

PARMESAN THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH TOMATO-TART CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• To make the jam, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until tender and aromatic but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, dried cherries, water, thyme, and salt and continue cooking until the cherries are plumped and the tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool, then puree the jam in the food processor, adding a bit more water as needed to achieve a texture a bit thinner than applesauce. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Combine the flour and Parmesan cheese in a food processor and pulse until the cheese is finely ground and well blended with the flour. Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse just until a cohesive dough forms, scraping down the sides as needed; avoid overmixing.
• Form the dough into 24 balls about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and set them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to make an indentation (it's normal for the edges to crack a bit, but you can gently pinch together any particularly large cracks). Fill each indentation with some of the jam, about 1/2 teaspoon each.
• Bake the cookies until firm and nicely browned around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Because this dough is a bit dense, be sure the cookies are thoroughly cooked, beyond just a light golden brown. If you pull them out too soon they may still be a bit underdone in the center. You can always snag one from the tray and break it in two to check-a snack for the cook.
• Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Arrange the cookies on a platter for serving, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.