Feta, cherry and white chocolate cookies
Feta might sound like a strange addition to cookies, but it gives them a salty and funky edge a little bit like miso that's balanced with the sweet white chocolate and cherries. It's absolutely delicious and a great way to use up that half a block of feta left in the fridge.
Recipe taken from Greekish: Everyday Recipes with Greek Roots by Georgina Hayden (Bloomsbury, £26 Hardback) Photography © Laura Edwards
Georgina says: I am obsessed with these cookies, as you should be. Are you the kind of person who likes to bake, offer your friends the result and say, rather hysterically ‘but you’ll never guess what’s in it. No, seriously, go on, have a guess!’ all the while getting a bit too close to the poor person you are grilling, knowing they probably won’t guess correctly? You hope they won’t, otherwise they’ve just killed the punchline. Is that you? You are my people, read on.
Putting feta in sweets isn’t a new thing (check out my baklava cheesecake on page 250 of Greekish), and many Greeks and Cypriots regularly sweeten soft cheeses for biscuits and cakes. Putting feta in scones and muffins set me on a path, playing with textures and flavours in cookies. The feta isn’t in there for shock value, it adds the salty edge that really lifts these biscuits. Sweet, chewy, tart, salty… I’ll stop raving — just promise to make them.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 160g of unsalted butter
- 100g of white chocolate
- 125g of soft light brown sugar
- 125g of caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 275g of plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 100g of feta
- 75g of dried cherries, sour if possible, or dried cranberries
Method
Cut the butter into cubes and add to a small pan over a medium heat. Melt the butter, then take it a little further so it turns golden-brown and starts to smell nutty. You’ll see little flecks of brown, toasted butter solids at the bottom of the pan
- 160g of unsalted butter
Meanwhile, chop the white chocolate and place in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the melted butter, leave for a minute, then stir until smooth. Beat in both types of sugar. Beat in the egg
- 100g of white chocolate
- 125g of soft light brown sugar
- 125g of caster sugar
- 1 large egg
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and fine sea salt together. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir until it all just comes together
- 275g of plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Crumble in the feta, add the dried cherries and mix briefly
- 100g of feta
- 75g of dried cherries, sour if possible, or dried cranberries
Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper and shape the cookie mixture into 12 even sized balls. (Not to be a geek, but I weigh the dough and divide by 12. You’re looking at 80–85g per cookie)
Place on the trays, and make sure there is plenty of room between them. Place the trays in the fridge for at least 1 hour to help the mixture firm up so the cookies don’t spread too fast — the longer you leave them the more domed and chewy they will be
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6 and bake the cookies for 18 minutes, until deep golden-brown at the edge. If you have chilled the dough overnight, they might need a minute or two longer
Leave the cookies to cool completely on their trays before serving or storing in an airtight container
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