As they are so tender, don't put these cookies out with your crackers next to the cheese ball. They can't handle the abuse. Instead, place them on their own festive plate or alongside other dry items not meant to be dipped or spread.
If you're not up to speed on the varieties of cheeses available in the marketplace, know that pecorino generally refers to pecorino romano, also often just called romano cheese. As in, that stuff that many restaurants cut the more expensive grated parmesan with.
Personally, I like it even better than parm (possibly because it's saltier) and I buy huge wedges at Costco that I grind up in the food processor for sprinkling on pasta.
By the way, if you're the sort of person who sees "parmesan" and thinks not "Parmigiano Reggiano" but rather "Kraft," you could always use 1-1/4 cups of their Parmesan-Romano blend here in place of measuring out two separate cheeses. We all know in our deepest souls which of us will be working the Microplane come Christmas and which will be scooping from the plastic bottle, but our guests will likely have consumed too much eggnog to judge what camp the cookies fall in.
Cookie Tip # 19: Before you start baking, make sure to clear ample space around the kitchen to set up cooling racks. There's nothing worse than running around the house with a rocket-hot pan in one hand, a rack under your chin, and your other arm shoving the wrapping paper and gifts on the floor as you make some landing space. Your cookie bottoms could burn along with your hands if you wait to set up the racks, as cookies will continue to bake while sitting on a hot sheet.
Rosemary-Cheese Spritz Cookies
Source: Food Network
Yield: About 4 dozen
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 large egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup finely grated Pecorino cheese
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoons fine salt
- Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
- Special Equipment: Cookie Press
Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
Beat the butter and lemon zest with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly beat in the egg yolk and cream.
Whisk the flour, pecorino, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, sugar, rosemary, salt, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture while mixing slowly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed to make a slightly sticky dough.
Fill the cookie press with the dough. Assemble the press with the desired disk shape (see cook's note), and press cookies onto ungreased baking sheets. Leave about one inch between cookies. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and refrigerate cookies for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Bake cookies, rotating pan halfway through, until golden, the cheese browns a bit, and the cookies smell nutty, about 20 to 25 minutes. Briefly cool the cookies on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool. Serve or store in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 month.
Cook's Notes: These freeze beautifully. Press the cookies out into desired shapes on cookie sheets and freeze. Transfer frozen cookies to a plastic bag, seal, and keep frozen for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, lay out frozen cookies on cookie trays and bake from frozen for 25 minutes.
Some disk shapes work better than others. Since this is savory cookie, we liked the cutters that result in a cracker shape cookie, like the ribbon, clover. Stars and and snowflakes work, too.
Download Rosemary-Cheese Spritz Cookies into MacGourmet.
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