Cheese Puffs and Shortbread Cookies

This week the theme for the Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life As Mom is fats. Butter is a very versatile fat for cooking/baking. You can make something sweet or savory with butter. It can make something melt in your mouth and make something rich. I thought I would share two recipes today, one savory and one sweet.

The cheese puffs I first had at a friend's local reception (she got married in Italy, so when they got home, they had a reception locally). They are very flavorful. The cheesy dough sort of melts in your mouth courtesy of the butter and the saltiness of the olive is a perfect accent to the cheesy dough.

Cheese Puffs
2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup flour
1 tbsp milk
1 stick butter, softened
48 pimento stuffed olives

Put cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Add milk and mix. Add flour and mix. Place the dough on a floured surface and roll out until 1/4" thick. Cut into small squares and wrap around an olive. Bake on cookie sheet for about 15min, until crisp.

I also like to make simple shortbread cookies. There is something to me that is so irresistible about a cookie that just melts in your mouth.

Shortbread Cookies
1 c butter, softened
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c flour

Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Beat at medium speed. Add flour, beat at low speed (lest you splatter flour everywhere!) until incorporated.

Divide dough in two. Roll into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Once dough is firm (about 2 hours), remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap. Slice in 1/4" slices and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Cook at 375 for 7 to 9 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes on cookie sheet before removing to cooling rack.

To finish cookies, you can either leave them plain or dip them in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar or dip them in melted chocolate.

For more recipes using butter and other fats, check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap.

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