IVY LANE DESIGNS: Tabasco Cheese Cookies

December 16, 2012

Tabasco Cheese Cookies

Our Pottstown Mercury's Town Square community bloggers' group recently asked for our favorite cookie recipes. Here is mine.

My mom bakes Tabasco cheese cookies for me every Christmas. I hide my cookies from everyone so that I won't have to share. Sometimes I hide them too well and have to decide, months later, if I should still eat them. That is a sad moment. But then I make a batch for myself and “God’s in is Heaven – all’s right with the world” (thank you, Robert Browning).

Now that we have adopted a plant-based diet (my beloved has gone all-the-way vegan, and lost 40 lbs. in the process, see: http://ivylanedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/down-20-pounds-meatless-monday-life.html and I am almost vegan), I adapted my mom’s recipe to suit. I am including a version for those who eat dairy and gluten and those who do not.

There are only six ingredients.

One of the ingredients is Tabasco, of which I am a huge fan. These are individual serving size bottles that I acquired while in New Orleans. Adorable!

PRINTER FRIENDLY RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup grated sharp cheddar (for dairy-free use Daiya shredder cheddar cheese)
1 stick butter (for dairy-free use Earth Balance)
1 cup Rice Krispies
1 cup flour (gluten-free use King Arthur Flour gluten-free multi-purpose flour)
1 pinch (ouch!) salt
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Allow cheese and butter to come to room temperature. Combine and blend well.

Mix in remaining ingredients until dough forms.

Pinch off walnut-size pieces and roll into balls ... or use your handy dandy cookie scoop (I bought mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but they do not have it available online).