Cheesy Rosemary and Thyme Thumbprint Cookie Recipe | Kitchen Mason (2024)

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This incredibly moreish cheesy rosemary and thyme thumbprint cookie recipe will literally blow your mind! A world apart from its sweet counterpart, this savoury thumbprint cookie recipe is the perfect snack to keep hunger at bay.

Packed with some serious flavour and guaranteed to delight your taste buds! Strong extra mature cheddar teamed up with aged parmesan cheese, fragrant rosemary and beautiful thyme – all smothered in a delicious sweet tomato and chilli chutney. I mean really, do I need to sell it any more or are you totally with me on this?!

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I think it’s perfectly normal to reach for a sweet treat when you’re feeling peckish or need an energy boost. Being a busy part time Mum, both caffeine and sugar are literally my best friends – I’ve eaten a lot of raspberry thumbprint cookies!

That being said, It would be a lot better for us if we switched out some for savoury treats instead. Try my irresistible thumbprint cookies and I promise you won’t regret it.

These gorgeous parmesan, cheddar, rosemary and thyme savoury bites of heaven are filled with a ridiculously delicious sweet tomato and chilli chutney. Obviously you can swap out any ingredients for what you already have in your cupboard – I actually encourage that, who likes waste?!

You could so easily change up the flavour to your taste too. Maybe use different herbs in the cookie dough or use your favourite chutney to fill them instead. The choice is all yours!

Looking for on the go snacks that you can take out with you? Check out this collection of easy picnic food ideas! You might also love these delicious cheese biscuits.

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Thumbprint Cookie Top Tips

  • Things bake much better when all ingredients are the same temperature, so take all cold items out the fridge 1 hour before using if possible.
  • If you’re picky like me – weigh each ball of dough as you’re rolling them to ensure they’ll all be the same size and, consequently, bake more evenly.
  • When you wrap your dough to chill, flatten it into a disc instead of leaving in a ball. The larger the surface area, the faster it will chill. (This works for cooling hot food down too!)
  • Store your cookies in a metal tin at room temperature. Plastic tubs make things ‘sweat’ whereas metal doesn’t – so they will keep their crunch/crumble for longer.

Need a little extra helping hand? Bag my Top 5 Tips to Guarantee Baking Success in baking for beginners!

Cheesy Rosemary and Thyme Thumbprint Cookie – Step by Step Picture Recipe

Here is what you will need to make 16

Ingredients

  • 170g Unsalted Butter, Softened
  • 75g Strong Cheddar Cheese, Grated
  • 75g Parmesan Cheese, Grated
  • 1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
  • 1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1 Small Egg
  • 255g Plain Flour
  • 300g Sweet Tomato and Chilli Chutney, To Fill

Essential Equipment

  • Large Baking Tray
  • Electric Stand Mixer or Large Bowl

Instructions

To make the dough, beat the butter to really soften it either in an electric stand mixer or a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

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Then add in the cheddar, parmesan, rosemary, thyme and salt and beat again until evenly distributed.

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Crack in the egg and mix again until nice and smooth.

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Finally, tip in half the flour (no need to sift) and mix until it’s starting to come together to form a dough. Then add in the remaining flour and beat again until it resembles a really crumbly dough.

Tip your dough out onto a sheet of clingfilm and bring together to form a ball. Flatten it into a disc, wrap up and pop into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 170°C.

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Now scoop out tablespoon sized bits of dough and roll to form 4cm (1.5″) balls. Keep going until all the dough is used up – you should get around 16.

Either using your thumb (hence ‘thumbprint’ cookies) or the end of a rounded utensil, push holes into the middle of each cookie. Don’t worry if they crack around the edges – that adds to the charm!

Now spoon a generous amount of chutney into each hole. Yes, we want lots of it – it will sink a little after cooking so pile it high!

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Pop your prepared thumbprint cookies onto your baking tray evenly spaced apart. (I line mine with a silicone baking mat but it’s not essential.) You don’t need to be too careful as they won’t spread that much during cooking. That being said, you may still need to cook in 2 batches.

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Pop them into the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.

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Allow to sit on the tray for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a metal tray at room temperature and consume within 2-3 days. (Although I think they’re amazing about 30 minutes after being baked!)

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Cheesy Rosemary and Thyme Thumbprint Cookie - Printable Recipe

Yield: 16 Servings

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This beautiful thumbprint cookie recipe is packed with flavour! Gorgeous extra mature cheddar cheese, sharp parmesan, rosemary and thyme cookies (a classic combo!) filled with the most amazing sweet tomato and chilli chutney. Need I say more?

Ingredients

  • 170 g Unsalted Butter, Softened
  • 75 g Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese, Grated
  • 75 g Parmesan Cheese, Grated
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme, Chopped
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1 Small Egg
  • 225 g Plain Flour
  • 300 g Sweet Tomato and Chilli Chutney

Instructions

  1. Beat the butter in a bowl (or electric stand mixer) to soften.
  2. Add both cheeses, the herbs and the salt and mix until blended.
  3. Add in the egg and beat until smooth.
  4. Tip in half the flour and mix until it starts to come together.
  5. Tip in the remaining flour and mix to form a dough. Wrap in cling film, flatten into a disc and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 170°C.
  6. Tear 4cm/1.5" bits out the dough and roll to make balls. Press your thumb in the middle to make holes.
  7. Put heaped mounds of the chutney into each hole. (Be generous!) and place them spaced out on a baking tray.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until brown.

Notes

Store in an airtight container (I prefer metal) and consume within 2-3 days.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 210Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 257mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment on the blog or tag me on Instagram.

Cheesy Rosemary and Thyme Thumbprint Cookie Recipe | Kitchen Mason (2024)

FAQs

What's the secret to baking cookies? ›

The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
  1. Always use butter.
  2. Choose the right sugar.
  3. Choose the right flour.
  4. Check your flour is in date.
  5. Choose the right kind of chocolate.
  6. Cream the butter and sugar.
  7. Beat in the eggs.
  8. Fold in the flour.

Do I need to refrigerate thumbprint cookies? ›

There's no need to refrigerate. These cookies will keep for at least a week before starting to dry out and get crumbly.

Why are my thumbprint cookies cracking when putting thumbprint? ›

Thumbprints crack if the dough is too cold or pressed to aggressively. I recommend using your index finger and pressing firmly but make the indent slowly. I know they are called “thumbprints” but most people's thumbs are actually too big for this task and will crack the dough!

What not to do when making cookies? ›

15 Common Cookie Baking Mistakes You Might Be Making
  1. Your cookies aren't baking evenly. ...
  2. You use eggs straight from the fridge. ...
  3. You use the wrong kind of flour. ...
  4. You measure flour the wrong way. ...
  5. You soften butter too much — or not enough. ...
  6. You use stale baking powder or baking soda. ...
  7. You overwork the dough.
Nov 4, 2020

Do you flatten cookie dough before baking? ›

Flattening the cookie dough provides more surface area that comes into contact with the ice bath, shortening the time it takes to chill. Then submerge the dough in the ice water and let it chill. After 20 minutes the dough will be completely chilled and ready for baking.

How do you keep thumbprint cookies from spreading? ›

Storing your dough in the fridge helps to harden the fat and prevent your cookies from spreading. Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

What is the correct order when making cookies? ›

Most cookies are made with the creaming method. Whip together the fat and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Then add the eggs and flavorings and then alternatively mix in the flour and liquids, stopping to scrape down the bowl occasionally. Chill and bake.

Why are my thumbprint cookies falling apart? ›

Baking requires precision, and if you find your homemade cookies are falling apart, then there's a good chance you have been using too much flour (via Fine Cooking).

Why are my thumbprint cookies crumbling? ›

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

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