Description
Creamy marinated cheese appetizer brings Mediterranean flair to elegant gatherings. Italian herbs, zesty salami, and tangy pickles create a perfect bite-sized indulgence you’ll crave at every party.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups (310 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (175 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Sugars:
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150 grams) brown sugar, packed
Additional Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (100 grams) maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
- 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
Dry Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Thermal preparation begins by elevating the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C), simultaneously arranging parchment paper or silicone mats across two baking surfaces.
- Within a capacious mixing vessel, cream together softened butter with granulated and brown sugars until achieving a light, airy consistency.
- Incorporate eggs sequentially, thoroughly blending after each addition, then infuse vanilla extract (and optional cherry essence) into the mixture.
- Separately, combine flour, baking soda, and salt through a whisking motion, gradually integrating this powdery amalgamation into the preceding wet ingredients until just harmonized.
- Tenderly fold chocolate morsels and diced maraschino cherries throughout the dough, ensuring uniform distribution of these delectable fragments.
- Utilizing a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion dough approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie, positioning them with generous two-inch intervals across prepared baking surfaces.
- Position trays within preheated oven, allowing cookies to transform for 10-12 minutes until peripheries solidify while maintaining slightly yielding centers.
- Allow cookies to rest momentarily on baking sheets for five minutes, subsequently transferring to wire cooling racks for complete temperature reduction.
Notes
- Choose high-quality cheese like sharp cheddar or feta for a robust flavor profile that elevates the entire appetizer.
- Marinate cheese cubes in olive oil, herbs, and spices for at least 2 hours to enhance taste and create deeper, more complex flavor layers.
- Consider using alternative proteins like prosciutto or turkey salami for dietary variations and personal preference adjustments.
- Experiment with pickling your own vegetables or using different pickle varieties to add unique texture and tangy notes to the appetizer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes per batch
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 278
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 73 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 36 mg