Cheddar Chive Shortbread #CreativeCookieExchange

Cheddar chive shortbread is buttery, savory and crisp when first out of the oven, the perfect accompaniment to your afternoon tea or evening cocktail time. 

Shortbread is a traditionally sweet treat but since the main ingredients are flour and butter, I figure there’s no good reason it can’t be savory as well. This month’s Creative Cookie Exchange theme is cheese so I thought it was a great time to test my theory. I am pleased to report that while it feels funny calling these cookies, shortbread is definitely considered a cookie, so here we are. And they are delicious! They are rich and buttery, with a lovely hint of heat from the black pepper and cayenne. They can stand up to a strong drink as well a good cup of tea.

Ingredients
1/2 cup or 113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 oz or 225g extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons finely minced chives or green onion tops
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinches paprika to decorate, optional

Method
In your electric mixer, beat together your butter, salt, black pepper and cayenne until you have a smooth paste.

Add in the cheese, flour and chives and mix at low speed until they form a soft dough.

Shape the dough into roll, wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and chill 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C and line your baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Unwrap the roll and slice the shortbread into circles about 1/4 in or 1/2cm thick. Place on your prepared baking sheets leaving space around for them to spread. I put mine a bit close together thinking I might fit them all on one pan and ended up needing a second pan for the balance of six cookies. Learn from my errors and just space them more evenly on two pans to start with.

Sprinkle on a little paprika to decorate, if desired. You can use cayenne or black pepper instead but I was afraid mine might be too spicy for my taste testers.

Bake the shortbread until lightly golden and beginning to brown on edges, about 10-12 mins.

I decided that I didn’t like the rough edges for a civilized teatime treat with Manzanilla sherry so I cut them out with a glass to even the edges. This is a totally unnecessarily step, but they do look nicer, don’t they? And we loved the little toasted crumbs that were left behind.

Enjoy!

Check out all the other lovely cheesy cookies my Creative Cookie Exchange friends have made. Many thanks to Renee of Magnolia Days for doing all the behind the scenes work this month!

• Banana Chocolate Chip Bars by What Smells So Good?
• Black Bottom Mini Cream Cheese Brownie Cups by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheddar Chive Shortbread by Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies by Magnolia Days
• Cream Cheese Kolachky by Oven Delights
• Geese Feet (Farmer's Cheese Cookies) by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Italian Ricotta Cookies by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Lemon Ricotta Cookies by A Baker's House
• Pepper Jack and Green Chile Cornbread Madeleines by Live. Bake. Love
• Spiced Parmigiano Scones by Spice Roots
• Tiramisu Sandwich Cookies by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Creative Cookie Exchange is hosted by Laura of The Spiced Life. We get together once a month to bake cookies with a common theme or ingredient so Creative Cookie Exchange is a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts at The Spiced Life). We post the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month!

Pin it! 

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Beer Cheddar Fondue #BeerMonth

Beer Cheddar Fondue is made with sharp cheddar cheese mixed and melted with beer. You won't be able to stop dipping in till it's gone. Serve with lightly steamed vegetables and/or crusty bread. A great snack or, indeed, meal!

The brewing of beer is one of the oldest arts of civilization. In fact, according to archaeologist Brian Hayden at Simon Fraser University in Canada, beer might well have been the motivating factor behind the sowing of grain which was the beginning of the end of our largely nomadic hunter-gatherer societies. And not a few millennia later, beer was being used as partial payment for workers building the pyramids. And, yet, here I am, for the very first time, taking part in the celebration of Beer Month, organized by Sophia of NYFoodgasm. What took me so long? After all, I’ve been a fan since way back.

One of my earliest memories of beer is sipping the foam, just the foam, mind you, off the top of my father’s freshly poured lager. The bubbles tickled my nose and the slightly hoppy taste was endured for the tickle, and because it was a privilege to be allowed that tiny sip of foam in the first place. My mother says that when she first met my father, he did not drink, but by the time I came along, or became conscious of such things, I do remember him manning the grill or a fishing pole or a crab net, not always with a beer in hand, but often.

Daddy taught me how to pour one properly, down the side of the glass, until almost the end of the bottle, to keep the foam from overflowing. No one wants a big head on his beer, says he. And he passed on his policy of drinking locally brewed beer, wherever he lives, a guideline that has proved valuable to me too. (Although I did draw the line at banana beer in Uganda. - It's a thing! - But the Bell Lager's not bad.) I take that a step farther and try to order what’s on tap when we are out as well. And I often incorporate beer into both sweet and savory recipes. With so many great beers out there, it seems a shame not to take advantage, doesn’t it?

Check out this map of the most popular beers of the world – I’ve supped 29 of these and many others not on the Most Popular list. (Most popular doesn't always mean the best.)

 Source: VinePair.com

How are you celebrating Beer Month? Scroll down to the bottom of this post for some great recipes from my fellow bloggers and then some suggestions from my archives. But meanwhile, melt some cheese for fondue!

Beer Cheddar Fondue

The only thing better than a slice or two of extra sharp cheddar to nibble while you sip a cold beer, is extra sharp cheddar melted with that beer (and another for sipping!) in a cheesy fondue.

Ingredients
For the fondue:
8 3/4 oz or 250g extra sharp cheddar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup or ml beer, plus possibly more to get to dipping consistency
3 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (We like things spicy. Reduce, if you must.)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For garnish:
2-3 teaspoons chopped green onions

To serve:
Mixture of fresh vegetables and/or loaf of crusty bread

Method
Depending on your vegetable, steam according to this chart on the lower end of the scale. If the veggies are too soft, they’ll likely fall off the fondue fork and get lost in the cheese. I set my timer and put the trimmed Brussels sprouts in first and added the rest as needed until finally the snow peas went in for barely any time at all.

Remove the steamer and immediately plunge into cool water. Drain.

If you aren’t serving immediately, you can refrigerate the vegetables but take them out in time for them to get to room temperature before serving. Or take the chill off in the microwave but do not overcook!

Grate your cheese and then toss it with the flour in a bowl.

Put about two inches or five centimeters of water in the bottom of a double boiler or in a pot with a metal bowl set on top. Bring the water to a boil and then turn the fire down to medium. Add the beer to the top of the double boiler or the metal bowl, then whisk in the dry mustard, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about one minute.

Add half the cheese to the beer mixture and cook until the cheese is melted, stirring constantly.

Add the remaining cheese a small amount at a time, stirring after each addition until the cheese is melted.

Add more beer, just a little at a time, if the mixture becomes too thick for dipping. If you finished off that first can thinking you wouldn't need the rest for the recipe, open another. It's Beer Month. Live large.

Pour into a warm fondue pot, garnish with chopped green onion tops, and keep warm over low heat.

Serve with your lightly steamed vegetables and/or cubes of crusty bread for dipping. And, of course, your favorite beer for drinking.

Enjoy!

#BeerMonth participants and MORE beer recipes!! Sending out a huge thank you to Sophia, chief Beer Month cheerleader and organizer extraordinaire!

• Triple IPA Chili Verde with Pork from our host and organizer, Sophia of NY Foodgasm  Follow her on Facebook and Pinterest.
• Beer Bacon Mac and Cheese from Lauren of Hall Nesting.
  Follow her on Facebook and Pinterest.
• Beer Braised Chicken Stew from Debra of Bowl Me Over.
  Follow her on Facebook and Pinterest.
• Beer Braised Pork Carnitas from Heather of girlichef.
  Follow her on Facebook and Pinterest.
• Beer Cheddar Fondue from Stacy of Food Lust People Love.
  Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.
• Beer Mimosa with Raspberries from Lori of Who Needs a Cape.
  Follow her on Facebook and Pinterest.
• Iron Skillet Chicken + Carrots with Toasted Lager Mustard Sauce from Ashley of Big Flavors From a Tiny Kitchen.
  Follow her on Facebook and Pinterest. 

Pin this Beer Cheddar Fondue!

From my archives - click on titles to open recipe post

My recipes with beer in them

Slow Cooker Beef and Guinness Pie

Tangzhong Rye Bread

Mocha Porter Quinoa Loaf

London Porter Cake with Lemon Glaze

The Post Bender (Hangover Cure)

Spicy Cashew and Feta Beer Muffins

Best recipes to eat while eat while drinking beer

Spicy Georgia Sugared Peanuts

Cheese Stuffed Soft Pretzels

Spicy Keema Naan

Bak Kwa or Grilled Chili Pork Jerky

Ploughman's Lunch Muffins

Spicy Roasted Corn Shrimp Dip

Snorker and Spicy Slaw Sandwiches

Spicy Sticky Wings

And if you've scrolled down this far, pull up a chair and let my father pour you a cold one. This one's Pilsener on the beach near Salinas, Ecuador, brewed in nearby Guayaquil. And it's delicious.

Spicy Georgia Sugared Peanuts #FoodieExtravaganza

Crunchy, sweet and spicy, these peanuts are easy to make and even easier to eat! 

Since March is National Peanut Month in the United States, this month’s Foodie Extravaganza ingredient is, of course, peanuts. And, yes, yes, I know we already did peanut butter last November. It’s not the same, people! Plus, one can never have too much peanut butter or too many peanuts. Especially these little sweet and spicy ones. I could not stop eating them. Then my husband came home and I offered him a taste. He said, and I quote, “You better close the container or I’ll just keep eating them.” They’d be perfect to put around in bowls at a party. They go especially nicely with a cold beer!

The original recipe is all over the internet because apparently Georgia Sugared Peanuts are a thing. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since Georgia has the largest production of all the peanut producing states, accounting for 46 percent of all US grown peanuts. According to the Georgia Peanut Commission, peanuts are a $2.0 billion industry in Georgia alone. So much for the idiom about working for peanuts!

The one change I made was to add a little cayenne into the mix, because just sweet is too sweet for us. We also need a little hit of heat.

Ingredients
2 cups or about 350g raw peanuts, shelled, with skins on
1 cup or 200g sugar
1/2 cup or 120ml water
1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method
Preheat your oven to 300°F or 150°C.

In a medium size pot over medium heat, combine the sugar, salt and water and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Add in your peanuts and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the syrup is very thick.

Sprinkle in your cayenne pepper and stir well.

Continue cooking the peanuts until they are completely sugar coated and there is no syrup left.

Scoop the peanuts out onto an ungreased baking pan, spreading and separating the peanuts as much as possible.

Bake until the peanuts are completely dry, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring at five minute intervals.

Allow to cool and then, enjoy!

A bowl for you and a bowl for me! 

Come celebrate National Peanut Month with us! Many thanks to this month's host, Alexis of We Like to Learn As We Go! 

Welcome to the March Foodie Extravaganza!  



Where we all share delicious recipes with the same main ingredient.

This month the ingredient is peanuts!  We have a great variety of yummy recipes from main dishes to desserts to share with you. If you would like to participate in the next Foodie Extravaganza, just go to the Facebook page to join. We would love to have you! 

American playwright Channing Pollock is quoted as saying, ""No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut." I say, "When you are blessed with a list of 11 lovely peanut recipes, courage is overrated."

• Chocolate Caramel Peanut Clusters from The Freshman Cook 
• Cold Spicy Peanut Noodles from Culinary Adventure with Camilla 
• Crunchy Peanut Surprise Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Kung Pao Chicken from Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Oatmeal Peanut Butter Scones from Baking in Pyjamas 
• Peanut Almond Polvoron from The Joyful Foodie 
• Peanut and Candy Popcorn Ball from We Like to Learn as We Go
• Peanut Crunch Pull Apart Bread from Mrs. Penguin 
• Peanut Whoopie Pies from Passion Kneaded
• Reese's Cheesecake Brownies from Making Miracles 
• Spicy Georgia Sugared Peanuts from Food Lust People Love 

Spicy Southern Fried Chicken

A picnic in the southern United States just wouldn’t be complete without some fried chicken. My grandmother always fried hers in peanut oil because of its health benefits with the added bonus of a very high smoke point, ensuring the chicken will get crunchy on the outside, keeping it tender on the inside.

Did you know that today is International Picnic Day? Yep, that’s right. Why it falls on a Wednesday is anybody’s guess but at the very least, even if you have to work today, let me encourage you to take your lunch outside and find a picnic bench and enjoy it in the sunshine. 

If you’ve read my About Me page, you know that my grandmother’s fried chicken is one of those things I keep trying to duplicate. Mine’s good, because all crispy fried chicken is good, but it just isn’t the same as when she made it for me. I am also open to trying other people’s fried chicken recipes. Because, once again and repeat after me, there is no bad fried chicken. 

A number of years ago my daughters gave me Maya Angelou’s memoir/cookbook, Hallelujah! The Welcome Table.  *Affiliate link* Her fried chicken recipe calls for marinating the chicken for an hour in a generous quantity of fresh lemon juice. I was a little skeptical at first, but I can tell you, it brightens the flavors beautifully without being overwhelmingly lemony. I like to add a bunch of cayenne too to make it spicy but otherwise, this is essentially Maya Angelou’s fried chicken. Just one more reason to admire our late poet laureate and mourn her recent passing.

Ingredients
1 chicken (Mine was a huge fryer, about 6 lbs and a pack of just wings)
2 cups or 480ml fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons cayenne

For dredging the chicken:
2-3 cups or 250-375g flour

For frying:
3-4 cups or 710-950ml peanut oil

Method
Wash and dry the chicken with some paper towels and cut it into pieces.  Put all the pieces into a big Ziploc bag or a large bowl and add the fresh lemon juice.

Put it in the refrigerator for one hour, turning the chicken halfway through to make sure the top pieces get their share of lemon juice time.

Rinse, dry and season the chicken generously with salt, black pepper and cayenne.  I say three teaspoons of cayenne in the ingredients list but truth be told, I just keep sprinkling it on until the chicken is covered in red. We like our chicken spicy.

Put your flour in a paper grocery bag. This was something my grandmother insisted on. Plastic would not do.

Dredge the seasoned chicken in the flour.

Heat your oil in large pot. I use a heavy roaster, just like my grandmother did. Ideally, the oil should be at 375°F or 190°C when the chicken is added. Add a few pieces of the chicken and cover.

Fry on high until brown on both sides.

Reduce heat to low, cover the pot leaving just a small gap, and cook for 30 more minutes.

Remove from heat, drain on paper towels (an extra paper grocery bag also works well) and serve hot.  I pop mine into a warm oven if I am not serving immediately and to keep the first batch warm while I fry the rest.

Repeat the process until all the chicken is cooked.

Enjoy!

This leg is for you!