Goat Cheese Thumbprint Cookies with Homemade Pear Jam

Hey, I made you some cookies!

Soft, sweet crumbly cookies with a surprise ingredient.

Well, not so surprising since you probably already read the title. GOAT CHEESE!

Yes, I put goat cheese in your cookies. But I promise they're so good.

Let's be real. You're probably not going to be sitting around thinking about holiday cookies and decide, "Hey, I want some goat cheese in my cookies."

But, it is possible that you'll need a couple tablespoons of goat cheese for a recipe and then wonder what you should do with the rest of it. The answer is make these cookies! Or, if you happen to make those whipped goat cheese crostini with rosemary roasted pears and have some leftovers, then you can make the homemade pear jam too. Not necessary, but totally delicious.

Essentially, the goat cheese replaces half of the butter in this cookie recipe. You don't exactly bite into one and think "Oh, that's goat cheese," but there is a noticeable difference. A slight tang. A more crumbly texture.

I also opted to use orange zest instead of the lemon zest called for in the original recipe, which rendered these cookies extra fragrant. (You can also see the little orange flecks in the photo below.)

There are so many cookie recipes abounding on the inter webs and in our homes this time of year. It can be intimidating on many levels. (How many cookies can I eat before they count as a meal?)

However, I think these cookies are fun and unique, and, well, special. They'd be great to serve at a New Year's Eve party. Or to bring as a hostess gift. Or to make to calm yourself while deep cleaning your entire house, stress Christmas shopping, celebrating your entrance into your late twenties (what?) and reevaluating your major life decisions.

Or maybe that's just me.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas, friends!

Use any kind of fancy fruit spread you like. Blueberry, blackberry, or raspberry would be fabulous!

Goat Cheese Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:
1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, room temperature (I left mine out overnight)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (or about 4 oz) whipped goat cheese
1 egg
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 325. Grease two large cookie sheets with non-stick spray. (Or line with parchment paper.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add goat cheese, egg, orange zest, and vanilla and beat well. Gradually add in dry ingredients, beating until just combined.

Use a tablespoon as a measure, form cookies into balls. Use the end of a wooden spoon to create a small indentation in each cookie.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on the edges. The indentation will have risen a little, so while the cookies are hot, gently use the spoon to increase the thumbprint.

Once cookies have cooled for 10-15 minutes, fill with a dollop of your favorite jam.

Cookies adapted from Buttercream Blondie.

Homemade Rosemary Pear Jam

Ingredients: 
1 1/4 cup chopped Rosemary Roasted Pears
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Combine pears, sugar, water, cinnamon and vanilla in a small sauce pan. Cook on low for one hour, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Add mixture to the pears. Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes or until desired consistency.