Goat Cheese & Thyme Snacking Cookies Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Bake

by: Joy Cho

November16,2021

3.5

2 Ratings

  • Prep time 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • Serves 14 cookies

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

With their jeweled jam centers, thumbprint cookies are a holiday mainstay, but who says they can’t shine as savory stars, too? After all, the centers are just a vessel for any kind of flavorful spread. In these soft, thyme-scented thumbprint cookies, goat cheese adds a welcome savory twist to the classic—and because Vermont Creamery’s Classic Goat Cheese errs on the milkier, milder side (rather than some more acidic varieties), the salty-sweet ratio is just right.

These cookies contain a double dose of goat cheese: The cheese is both creamed into the dough and smeared on top of the cookies with a touch of honey to finish. I found that instead of baking the cheese in the centers (which made for congealed lumps), filling the indents with fresh goat cheese after the cookies baked led to a better result, allowing the cheese to remain creamy. Butter, goat cheese, and sour cream in the dough mean plenty of richness, and a bit of whole-wheat flour adds subtle, earthy notes that complement the aromatic thyme. The dough contains a modest amount of sugar that balances the salt and tanginess of the goat cheese without veering into “traditional” cookie territory.

Heading into the holiday season, a platter of these goat cheese and thyme thumbprints are perfect bite-size treats to serve alongside co*cktails or as a unique nibble to start the night. The cheese and herbs work surprisingly well in cookie format, demonstrating that savory and sweet can collide with delicious results—all while retaining the fun, festive vibes we love in a classic thumbprint cookie.
Joy Cho

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe is shared in partnership with Vermont Creamery, and was developed using their Classic Goat Cheese.
—The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Watch This Recipe

Goat Cheese & Thyme SnackingCookies

Ingredients
  • For the cookies:
  • 113 grams(½ cup or 1 stick) Vermont Creamery Unsalted Cultured Butter, softened
  • 2 ouncesVermont Creamery Classic Goat Cheese, softened
  • 50 grams(¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 60 grams(¼ cup) Vermont Creamery Cultured Sour Cream, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonsfresh thyme leaves (stems removed), plus more for garnishing
  • 90 grams(½ cup plus 2 tablespoons) whole-wheat flour
  • 60 grams(½ cup) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoonkosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoonbaking powder
  • For the filling:
  • 2 ouncesVermont Creamery Classic Goat Cheese, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoonhoney
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and goat cheese with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add the sugar and lightly cream the mixture, about 30 seconds.
  2. Add the sour cream and thyme and beat until combined.
  3. Whisk the flours, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat just until the dough comes together (do not over-mix).
  4. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes (to make the dough easier to work with when rolling into balls). Heat the oven to 350°F
  5. While the dough is chilling, mix the goat cheese, honey, and a few cranks of ground pepper in a small bowl until completely smooth.
  6. Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon-size balls (or 30 grams per ball), spacing them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use your thumb to firmly press an indent into the center of each cookie, then use your fingers to press the indent into a uniform shape about 1-inch in diameter.
  7. Bake the cookies for 14 to 15 minutes, rotating halfway through, until they look set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
  8. Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the goat cheese-honey mixture into the center of each cookie and gently press into place. Sprinkle the centers with a few thyme leaves to finish.
  9. Note: Cookies are best enjoyed the day of baking, but will keep for 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator (bring them to room temperature before eating).

Tags:

  • Cookie
  • American
  • Honey
  • Goat Cheese
  • Sour Cream
  • Thyme
  • Bake
  • Entertaining
  • Winter
  • co*cktail Party
  • Holiday
  • Fall

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Baguette & Beurre

  • Cassandra Brecht

  • BeccaSue

  • J_nols

Popular on Food52

5 Reviews

BeccaSue May 15, 2022

Definitely should cook longer than 14-15 minutes. At 17 minutes, they were still undercooked. Maybe add a bit more sugar. I didn't feel like there was enough here to make me want to experiment with variations.

November 20, 2021

I really don’t like reading through a recipe to see that it’s advertising. Is there a way to distinguish sponsored recipes from others? Maybe I haven’t used the site in a while but the commercialization of the recipes is off putting. Is no one else bothered?

Cassandra B. January 24, 2022

We get these recipes for free. So, no...it doesn't bother me that they have partnerships in order to bring in revenue.

J_nols November 18, 2021

I cannot find the Vermont Sour Cream anywhere.

November 20, 2021

You can use any sour cream!!!!! The use of brand names in recipes is ridiculous.

Goat Cheese & Thyme Snacking Cookies  Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Will adding bread or apple slices to air tight containers help keep soft cookies moist? ›

You might find it surprising, but adding a slice of bread to your cookie container can help keep the cookies moist for a while! The cookies will absorb the moisture from the piece of bread, preventing them from drying out.

What to eat with goat cheese reddit? ›

I love aged goat cheese on some crusty bread, with some honey. It goes really well with roasted vegetables. Lovely marinated with olive oil, herbs, and some chili pepper. One of the best salads I have ever had was carrots a few different ways, goat cheese croquettes, and a lemony pesto like dressing.

What is the secret to moist cookies? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

How do bakeries keep their cookies soft? ›

Usually the fat used is a combination of shortening and liquid oil or melted butter, which keeps the structure of the cookie tender by absorbing into the flour and preventing gluten formation.

Is it OK to eat goat cheese everyday? ›

Yes, goat cheese generally has less lactose than cow cheese. But do keep in mind that soft cheeses may have more lactose than the harder, aged ones. Can I eat goat cheese every day? Goat cheese can be eaten daily.

What to avoid with goat? ›

But, just like other animals, goats shouldn't consume things like garlic, onion, chocolate or any source of caffeine, to name a few. Although most goats wouldn't eat leftover meat scraps, they shouldn't be offered them either. Citrus fruits should also be avoided, as they can really upset the rumen.

What flavors pair well with goat cheese? ›

Almonds, basil, cayenne pepper, chervil, chives, hazelnut, macadamia nuts, paprika, parsley, pine nuts, pistachio, sage, tarragon, walnuts. Bacon, beef, bulgur, chicken, duck, egg, freekeh, ham, honey, lamb, maple syrup, orzo, prosciutto, quinoa, salami, truffle, turkey, veal, wild rice.

Will an apple slice keep cookies soft? ›

Apples are said to keep the doctor away, but as it turns out, this favorite fruit also keeps staleness at bay. If you slice your apple right through the center and put half in an airtight container along with your baked goods, it can prolong that delicious taste from day one to day three.

How can you keep cookies soft when storing in an airtight container? ›

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.

How do you keep cookies fresh in an airtight container? ›

If you are planning to eat the cookies within a few days, place them in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag. You can also place a slice of sandwich bread inside the container, which will absorb excess moisture and help keep the cookies soft.

How do you keep cookies soft and moist? ›

The bread/apple trick

Here's a baker's trick you'll find in our new Monster Cookies recipe: Adding a piece of fresh white bread to the storage container will keep cookies from becoming hard or stale.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Domingo Moore

Last Updated:

Views: 6135

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (53 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Domingo Moore

Birthday: 1997-05-20

Address: 6485 Kohler Route, Antonioton, VT 77375-0299

Phone: +3213869077934

Job: Sales Analyst

Hobby: Kayaking, Roller skating, Cabaret, Rugby, Homebrewing, Creative writing, amateur radio

Introduction: My name is Domingo Moore, I am a attractive, gorgeous, funny, jolly, spotless, nice, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.