Rosemary Blue Cheese Icebox Cookies
These Blue Cheese cookies are a bit unexpected with a dash of elegance—perfect for a New Year’s celebration. And with just the right blend of sweet and savory, they would be equally at home on the appetizer buffet or the dessert table.
Rosemary Blue Cheese Ice Box Cookies
Servings: 4 dozen
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces Blue Cheese,* softened
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups nuts (pecans or walnuts), chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, leaves only
White or natural sanding (coarse) sugar
*Domestic Blue Cheese gives cookies a clean flavor, color and texture. Use less flour with a Stilton-style cheese and more flour with a French-style Roquefort.
Cooking Directions:
Whisk together flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl; set aside. Cream together Blue Cheese and butter with an electric mixer. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Slowly add flour mixture to butter and cheese mixture; beat to combine. Add cranberries and mix on low just until evenly dispersed.
Divide the dough into two pieces and use parchment paper or plastic wrap to form the dough into two 1 1/2-inch diameter round or square logs. Set out two fresh pieces of plastic wrap and sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over both. Roll the logs of dough in nuts until covered. Tightly wrap and seal the logs; refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours). Preheat oven to 325°F. Working with one log at a time, unwrap and slice logs into 1/4-inch discs. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Gently press about 3 small rosemary leaves on each cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with sanding sugar.
Bake on a middle rack until bottoms begin to brown and tops just begin to turn from pale to golden; 12 to 18 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 to 2 minutes before removing cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Packaging:
Since cheese is a featured ingredient in these cookies, try wrapping them in cheese paper. Packages of cheese paper sheets and label stickers can be purchased at specialty food stores or ordered online. Wrap small stacks of cookies in a sheet of cheese paper and secure with the sticker. They make great hostess gifts and party favors.
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