Cheddar Parmesan Thumbprints are perfect party food.

How many times have you been offered a snack at a cocktail party, tried to take a bite and have part of it fall on the floor or worse tumble down the front of your shirt? More often than not, I politely pass on party food because I can’t balance an hors d’oeuvres in one hand and my drink in the other. It makes for a  hangry evening.

If you’ve been asked to bring a snack to a holiday party this year, try these CHEDDAR PARMESAN THUMBPRINTS WITH APPLE CAYENNE JELLY. They’re easy to make, easy to transport and, most importantly, easy to eat!

CHEDDAR PARMESAN THUMBPRINTS WITH APPLE CAYENNE JELLY slightly adapted from Canadian Living

1½ cups old Cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
½ cup apple cayenne jelly or hot pepper jelly

THE STEPS:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In your food processor, pulse cheeses and butter together until smooth.
• Add egg yolk and pepper then pulse until blended.
• Add flour and pulse just until a soft dough forms. There’ll be a rim of flour around the top of the food processor bowl; scrap it down with a rubber spatula then give the dough another pulse to mix it in.
• Using a small retractable scoop, make 36 balls. My scoop made 18 balls so I cut them in half to get the 36 portions.

• Shape the dough into uniform balls by rolling the scoops with your palms like you’re making a snow ball.
• Place pecans in a shallow bowl.
• Place 1 cup water in a bowl.
• One at a time, dip the dough balls in water then roll in nuts to coat.
• Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheet.
• Use the end of a wooden spoon to make an indentation in the centre of each cookie. I prefer a deeper well for the jelly which is why I don’t use my thumb.

• Fill each indentation with jelly. Make sure that the jelly is just above the height of the cookie.
• Bake in the centre of your oven for 16 minutes or until firm outside and lightly golden.
• Let cool on baking sheet on rack.

Too many Christmases ago, a woman I adored gave my daughters this Father Christmas figurine. “Something to remember me.” When those you love are here, the idea of having a gift to remember them by seems superfluous. Since her passing, every Christmas as I’m unwrapping Santa from his layers of tissue, I’m so grateful to have her thoughtful gift. Although I think of her often, he does make her feel more present. 

Christmas is such a merry, heart-aching time of year. The joyful memories of Christmas past rekindle the longing of time forever gone. As a child, waking up on Christmas morning to a day full of Mom, Dad, my brother Paul, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and the love that happened when my whole family was together was bliss. Our holiday family chaos was magical. I was too little to be aware of adult worries or stresses. I was innocently oblivious to anything, but the loving radiance of Christmas Day. When you’re young, there’s no reason to think it will ever change. What I would give to sit close to my grandfather again, inhaling his spicy aftershave while he spins a story or to stand on a chair beside Nanny’s kitchen sink with a brand new Christmas tea towel in my hand waiting for her to pass me a precious Christmas dish to dry. Just to do normal things on Christmas Day with people I miss forever. But things do change and all of a sudden there’s a new somebody filling the world with his own special magic. He and I are going do a lot of normal things… the circle of life.

Thanks for reading.

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Cheddar Parmesan Thumbprints - slightly adapted from Canadian Living

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 36 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 16 Minutes 16 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

1½ cups old Cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
½ cup apple cayenne jelly or hot pepper jelly

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 350*F
2. Place oven rack in the middle of your oven.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
4. In your food processor, pulse cheeses and butter together until smooth.
5. Add egg yolk and pepper then pulse until blended.
6. Add flour and pulse just until a soft dough forms. There’ll be a rim of flour around the top of the food processor bowl; scrap it down with a rubber spatula then give the dough another pulse to mix it in.
7. Using a small retractable scoop, make 36 balls. My scoop made 18 balls so I cut them in half to get the 36 portions.
8. Shape the dough into uniform balls by rolling the scoops with your palms like you're making a snowball.
9. Place pecans in a shallow bowl.
10. Place 1 cup water in a bowl.
11. One at a time, dip the dough balls in water then roll in nuts to coat.
12. Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheet.
13. Use the end of a wooden spoon to make an indentation in the centre of each cookie. I prefer a deeper well for the jelly which is why I don’t use my thumb.
14. Fill each indentation with jelly. Make sure that the jelly is just above the height of the cookie.
15. Bake in the centre of your oven for 16 minutes or until firm outside and lightly golden.
16. Let cool on baking sheet on rack.

Notes

THE LOVE: You can play around with these savoury cookies by trying different nuts and jelly flavours. Also, they freeze well so you can make a bunch, throw them in the freezer until you need them.