During the holidays there are dozens of cookies made in my kitchen but I do not make them. That’s right! It is my husband’s deal to make all those cookies. My kids of course have been helping since they were old enough to make a mess with sugar and flour and we all enjoy it. The truth is that my sweet tooth is very particular, I don’t like overly sweet desserts and I definitely do not like chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies for the same reason. This holiday season I wanted to make my “own” cookie, meaning not the traditional ones that my husband makes. I started my quest by searching for something with two of the ingredients that make me think of Christmas, cranberries & pecans.
I landed on the Wisconsin Cheese website and started scrolling through lots of cookie recipes until I found this one, all the flavors just sounded so different that I thought I must try. The result was a savory, crunchy, not overly sweet yet delightful cookie that screams Christmas to me. Even thou I skipped the rosemary called for on the original recipe, I think I may want to give it a try on my next batch. It has for sure some adult flavors and that is why I am calling it a grown-up cookie (my kids were not big fans but I ate more cookies than I’ve ever had :)).
I adapted this recipe from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board website, you can find the original recipe here. I used Wisconsin Cheese for my recipe because I willingly choose to buy local products, I was not given or offered anything to try this recipe.
If you are ready to treat Santa to a grown-up cookie this Christmas try this blue cheese, cranberry & pecan cookie recipe. It will not disappoint! Grab your local cheese and start baking!
Ingredients:
(makes 2 dozen cookies)
6 oz. Blue Cheese, softened 
1 Stick butter, at room temperature
1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 Cup pecans, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon raw sugar
Method:
Using an electric mixer, cream together the blue cheese and butter until well combined. Add the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch and salt and add slowly to the cheese-butter mixture, beat to combine. Add cranberries and mix on low until evenly dispersed. You should end with a crumbly dough (see picture below). Using parchment or wax paper (I used wax) form the dough into a round log of about 1 1/2 inch diameter.
Spread the chopped pecans on the parchment or wax paper and roll the log of dough until covered. Tightly wrap on the wax paper and twist the ends. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours). Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat (Note: do NOT use wax paper to bake). Unwrap the log and using a serrated knife slice into 1/4 inch discs.
Place 1 inch apart in the baking sheet, sprinkle with raw sugar and bake until the bottoms begin to brown and the tops are golden, 15 to 18 minutes (in my oven). Let it cool for 2 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack. Cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to a week. Remember to save some cookies for Santa 🙂 Enjoy!
