Savory Parmesan & Black Olive Cookies

Thank Mumma for this recipe. She was reading a review of a schmancy new French restaurant in Plymouth (yes...Plymouth!) and was intrigued when the article mentioned tasty homemade Parmesan and olive cookies.

Mumma's an olive fiend, so I knew the request for a "copycat" version would be coming soon. And it did...the next week when I was home visiting. She never lets an opportunity to put the in-house baker to work.

I guess it would be more accurate to call these guys biscuits, not cookies. But where's the fun in that? My brother chomped into one thinking he was biting into a piece of sweet tasty goodness. Little did he know that those chunks were olives, not chocolate chips.

This isn't the first savory cookie I've made. (Check out my Simon & Garfunkel-inspired Scarborough Fair Cookies.) The key here is to replace the sugar with something savory. For me, the obvious answer is cheese. I just cream together the fat (butter and olive oil) and the cheese, the same way I would with sugar and butter for a sweet cookie.

I didn't add any salt to this recipe because the cheese and olives add a good amount of saltiness in their own right. I upped the amount of baking soda I usually use from 1/2 teaspoon to a full teaspoon just to make sure these guys had a little extra lift. There's a lot of cheese in this recipe, and I didn't want that to weigh down and flatten the cookies. For a little additional flavor I added black pepper and some dehydrated garlic, which is what Mumma had on hand. (If you have fresh garlic, go ahead and use that.) For some freshness and brightness, I added freshly chopped flat leaf parsley to the dry ingredients.

Makes 2 dozen cookies, but you can adjust the size downward to make twice as many bite-sized hors d'oeuvres. (To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing Savory Parmesan & Black Olive Cookies.)

Creamables	1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 stick butter
Wet Ingredients	1 egg 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon milk 1 can drained, roughly chopped medium olives
Dry Ingredients	2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese 1 1/4 cups flour 1 cup oatmeal 2/3 cup roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley 2 teaspoons black pepper 1 teaspoon roughly chopped or dehydrated garlic 1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
3. Scramble together the egg, Italian seasoning, and milk and add to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
4. Next add the chopped olives to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix again.
   
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
7. Shape dough into balls--about 2 tablespoons each. For bite-sized hors d'oeuvres, make the dough balls about 2 teaspoons each.
   
8. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Comments

[Mumma]

These are really tasty and would make a great hors d'oeuvre and the perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine or the perfect pairing with a plate of pasta. The black olive and cheese combo is oh so-o-o-o good. This one gets high marks from me!

[Auntie]

What! You didn't save any for me Mumma!!!!

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Hi, Mumma and Auntie. I'll have to make these again soon. :-)

[JS5981]

Hi CookieGuy,
Thanks again for another great recipe! I made these for my wife (an avid olive lover) as part of a Christmas gift. We both can not stop eating them. Thankfully I made extra because the relatives devoured them as well. I can't wait to tackle the next recipe. Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Hi, JS5981. Merry Christmas, and thanks for writing in! I know savory cookies sound a little strange, but these guys are really good! They're perfect with a glass of red wine or as an accompaniment to a hearty pasta meal. I'm so glad you, your wife, and your relatives enjoyed these and that you made them a part of your holiday meal and celebration.