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Savory Thumbprint Cookies with Bourbon Tomato Jam Recipe

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4.4 from 9 reviews

These Savory Thumbprint Cookies feature a delicious combination of white cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses mixed with jalapeno and rosemary for a flavorful dough base. The cookies are filled with a homemade bourbon tomato jam, providing a sweet and tangy contrast to the savory cheesy cookies. This unique treat is perfect as an appetizer or snack, combining buttery, cheesy, and subtly spicy flavors with the rich depth of bourbon-infused tomato jam.

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

  • 225 g unsalted butter (2 sticks, softened)
  • 100 g white cheddar cheese (grated, about 1 cup)
  • 100 g Monterey Jack cheese (grated, about 1 cup)
  • 1 deseeded jalapeno (finely chopped, keep seeds if you want more heat)
  • 1 large rosemary sprig (leaves only, finely chopped; thyme can be substituted)
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 20 g white sugar (about 2 tbsp)
  • 1 large egg
  • 200 g all-purpose flour (1 ⅔ cups, spooned and leveled)
  • 150 g semolina (1 cup, spooned and leveled)

Bourbon Tomato Jam

  • 1 lb cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 150 g sugar (1¾ cup)
  • 5 tbsp vinegar (white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar)
  • ½ tbsp chili flakes / crushed red pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped, about 2 tsp minced)
  • ½ medium white or yellow sweet onion (finely diced)
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
  • 3 tbsp bourbon

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Cheese and Herb Mixture: Roughly chop the grated white cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, then mix them with the finely chopped rosemary leaves and diced jalapeno. Alternatively, pulse together in a food processor to finely mix. Set this mixture aside.
  2. Cream Butter, Sugar, and Salt: In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, white sugar, and kosher salt. Use a whisk, spatula, or wooden spoon to cream the ingredients together until smooth and fluffy. Then add the large egg and mix thoroughly until fully incorporated into the dough.
  3. Incorporate Cheese-Herb Mixture: Add the cheese and herb blend to the creamed butter mixture. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold it evenly into the dough.
  4. Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and semolina. Gradually add this dry mix in two batches into the butter-cheese dough, mixing until a dough forms. You may need to use floured hands to bring the dough together. Rest the dough for about 15 minutes.
  5. Shape the Cookies: Line two cookie trays with parchment paper. Form the dough into 1 ½ inch round balls, each weighing approximately 30 g. Place them spaced about 2 inches apart on the trays (12-14 cookies per tray). Using a flour-dusted finger, create a deep well or thumbprint indentation in the center of each dough ball, smoothing edges as needed while maintaining the well.
  6. Chill the Dough: Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 30 minutes while the oven preheats, or chill overnight for convenience and improved texture.
  7. Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), ensuring it has been heated for at least 15 minutes before baking.
  8. Fill with Bourbon Tomato Jam: Remove cookies from the fridge and generously fill each thumbprint well with cooled bourbon tomato jam.
  9. Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Midway through baking, switch the positions of the trays to ensure even baking. If your oven bakes unevenly with two trays, bake one tray at a time. Cookies should be golden on the bottom and light golden on top when done.
  10. Cool and Serve: Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the trays before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve cookies slightly warm or at room temperature.
  11. Store Properly: When storing, avoid stacking cookies as the jam can stick to the bottoms.
  12. Make Bourbon Tomato Jam (One Day Ahead): Combine cherry tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, chili flakes, garlic, onion, cumin, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar as it heats. Bring mixture to a boil, then increase heat to maintain a steady boil, stirring and gently crushing tomatoes as they soften. After about 5 minutes of boiling, stir in bourbon. Continue cooking until mixture thickens to a syrupy consistency resembling preserves with visible tomato pieces. Cool, store in mason jars, and refrigerate overnight before use.

Notes

  • Chilling the cookie dough overnight enhances flavor and texture but a 30-minute chill is sufficient if short on time.
  • Switching cookie tray positions halfway during baking ensures even cooking if baking two trays at once.
  • If your oven does not bake evenly with two trays, bake one tray at a time for best results.
  • Do not stack the baked cookies for storage because the jam can cause sticking.
  • The bourbon tomato jam recipe yields about 1.5 batches of jam, enough for these cookies plus extra for other uses.
  • You can substitute thyme for rosemary if preferred in the cheese-herb mixture.
  • Leaving jalapeno seeds in the dough will increase the spice level.

Find it online: https://recipefeastful.com/savory-thumbprint-cookies-with-bourbon-tomato-jam-recipe/