Cheese Hearts #CreativeCookieExchange

           

                             Life is great. Cheese makes it better.
                                                                                                                                                                                           - Avery Aames.

For those of you with less of a sweet tooth or even for those who keep gorging on anything and everything that's got sugar in it, these sesame topped cheese cookies are a welcome change. Made with cheddar cheese and sprinkled with powdered chilli, sesame seeds and some more cheese, you can have them anytime of the day, in between meals and even with a cup of tea or coffee.

It is late January and we all know Valentine's Day is about to start trending and soon love will be in the air! Keeping that in mind, this month's theme for our Creative Cookie Exchange group is Hearts/Love, basically any kind of cookie that somehow expresses love/hearts.

Going along with the theme, I wanted to make something in heart shape and this usually means something sweet. But with all the sugar intake in the last couple of months, thanks to the festivals, I was in no mood for another sweet and was looking for a salty alternative. Found the perfect recipe in one of my cookie books.

Since these cookies are sprinkled with grated cheese right before they go into the oven, you will see them bubbling vigorously while they are baking and at that very moment you will know that you have baked something very tasty and cheesy :D

While making these Cheese Hearts, I used natural cheddar cheese which is milder than the processed one and therefore had to add salt in the dough to get the right amount of salty flavor. If you are going to use the processed variety, you may want to skip the salt. Addition of chilli powder as a topping gives these cookies just a touch of spiciness and makes them even more yummy!

Recipe Source: Cookies by Betty Saw.

Makes about 44 to 46 two inches Cheese Hearts

Ingredients
For Cookies
200 grams / 7 ounces / 1 plus 1/3 cups self raising flour.
1/4 teaspoon paprika.
1/2 teaspoon salt (if using processed cheddar cheese, omit the salt)
125 grams / 4.5 ounces / 1/2 cup cold margarine (I used unsalted butter).
100 grams / 3.5 ounces / 1 cup grated natural cheddar cheese.
2 small eggs, one whole and the other beaten.
1 teaspoon prepared mustard.

For Topping
Finely grated cheddar or parmesan cheese.
Paprika or powdered chilli.
Sesame seeds.

Method
Line baking trays with parchment. Sift together the flour, paprika and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand held mixer, cream the margarine for a minute. Add the grated cheese and whole egg and beat until light and creamy. Add the mustard, salt and the sifted dry ingredients. Mix to form a soft dough. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for 30 minutes or until the dough is firm.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F. Roll out the dough between two plastic or parchment sheets to about 1/4 inch / 0.5 cm thickness. Cut into heart shapes and and place on the prepared trays.

Brush the surface with beaten egg and sprinkle with the grated cheese, paprika or powdered chilli and sesame seeds. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown about 10 to 15 mins.

Place the trays on a wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes. Transfer the cookies from the tray to the cooling rack. Eat while they are still warm.

Storage Suggestions: These cookies are best eaten warm on the day they are baked.

Happy Baking!!!

You can use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• Aloha Linzer Cookies by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Cheese Hearts by Bakingyummies
• Chocolate Valentine Sugar Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies by Flours and Frostings
• Double Chocolate Spritz Heart Cookies by The Spiced Life
• Happy Heart Lemon Cookies by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• LoftHouse Cookies by Oven Delights
• Meringue Hearts by Noshing With The Nolands
• Nutella Raspberry Cookies by Upstate Ramblings
• Pomegranate, Rose and White Chocolate Cookies by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Sour Cream Pecan Sandies by Magnolia Days
• Sweet Heart Cookies by 2 Cookin' Mamas
• Yin Yang Cookies by Food Lust People Love