Secret Recipe Club, Parmesan Stars, Pistachio Pigs, and High Heel Cheese Cookies!

the Painted Apron

9 years ago

My assignment this month is Manu’s Menus. Manu, or Manuela, is from Italian and Sicilian heritage, married to a man from India, and now she lives in Australia~ wow, what an exciting life! Manu is artistic and an avid traveler, and I had so much fun exploring her recipes from cultures all over the world

I ultimately decided to try Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Cookies. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is a splurge, but it makes such a difference in flavor

I love this recipe because the proportions are simple and equal, making it not only easy to remember but easy to double or halve

1 stick butter, 1 cup flour, 1 cup shredded cheese

I made a few tiny changes to Manu’s recipe. You can see her recipe here

Cube the butter right on the wrapper to make it easy to transfer to the food processor

Pulse butter, flour and cheese together in food processor until dough forms

Turn dough out onto a board and shape into a ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to a week. If dough is refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, let it warm a little before rolling out

Flour a board and roll dough out to 1/4″ thickness

I used different cookie cutters to make 3 fun options

High heels with black sesame seeds for a Girls Night Out fun or a Ladies Tea

Parmesan and Pistachio Pigs with chopped pistachio nuts are perfect for a Portable Picnic, Game Day Buffet, or a Rustic Country Farm setting

Sesame Stars with a sprinkle of sesame seeds in the center, are perfect for Beach Bummin’, Netting Crabs or Selling Seashells by the Shore

They were all delicious 😋

I even rolled the scraps with the leftover seeds and nuts and cut them into squares to bake. I didn’t want to waste any of this tasty dough!

You can make the dough up to a week ahead of time and then it will only take a few minutes to roll out your cookies and bake them

Cooking time will depend on your oven and the thickness of your dough, but mine took 10 minutes at 400 degrees

Such a fabulous little nibble!

Parmesan Stars, Pistachio Pigs, High Heel Cheese Cookies

use cookie cutters and toppings to create themed snacks for your next event!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword cheese cookies, cheese straws, cheese wafers, cookie cutter cheese straws, party food, pistachio cheese wafers

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Servings 36

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter or 8 Tablespoons
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup 4 oz. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
sesame seeds white and black
pistachio nuts chopped

Instructions

Cube butter into 1 inch cubes. Place flour, cheese and butter in food processor.
Pulse until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a board and knead into a ball. Wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes or chill up to one week.
If dough is thoroughly chilled, let it sit out to warm a little before rolling out. Roll dough out on a floured board to about 1/4″ thickness.
Cut into shapes with cookie cutters or cut into squares. Garnish withe desired toppings
Bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes, watching carefully. Remove from oven when just golden, do not burn.
Cool and store in airtight container. Makes approximately 3 dozen