Fig and Cheddar Thumbprint Cookies

There are a few of my favorite things in these cookies! Fig preserves, cheddar, and a sprinkling of black pepper make this the perfect cookie to add to your charcuterie board or to simply snack on. If you’re craving something savory, these little cookies are just sweet enough yet robust in flavor. While thumbprint cookies are a classic, if we’re honest they are usually the ones leftover on the plate at the holiday party, but I think they aren’t appreciated enough. I first tried thumbprint cookies as a kid when the mother of one of my good childhood friends brought them to us on Christmas. She would make platters of cookies with an array of treats, some new, even Rice Krispie treats and of course the more traditional Christmas cookies including thumbprints.

I do love a cookie that works for you and a thumbprint can really become anything you want it to be. The flavor combinations are endless; add ganache or a drizzle of syrup, sprinkle some salt or add cocoa and you’ve got the perfect marriage between buttery cookie and decadent dessert. These may not be for everyone but all I’m asking is to give cheese a chance with this newfangled classic.