If you're a fan of cheese straws you'll love these Thumbprint Cheese Wafers with Pecans! This savory little cocktail or shower nibble can be served plain or with hot pepper jelly or the jam or your choice. I like that your food processor does all the work, from shredding the cheese, then mixing all the ingredients together.
Are you a fan of cheese straws? If so, you'll love these pecan cheese wafers! This recipe is one of the many delicious recipes in The Southern Living Party Cookbook.
Thumbprint Cheese Wafers with Pecans are great with a glass of wine and would be good served at a bridal or baby shower too.
If you're a fan of the sweet heat of hot pepper jelly, you'll love these, but strawberry, fig or apricot jam would be good here too. My husband likes these jam-free, as plain cheese wafers, which reminded him of a recipe my mother-in-law used to make.
Your food processor makes quick work shredding cheese and the blending of the cheese, butter and flour for this recipe!
Shred your cheese off the block for this recipe. Bagged pre-shredded cheese has added ingredients with anti-clumping properties that keep cheese shreds separate, so it doesn't always melt completely nor is it as moist as cheese you shred off the block.
Make sure your cheese is very cold before using the shredding disc on your food processor. You can place your block of cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes for easier shredding.
Pulse flour, cheese and butter in a food processor at 5-second intervals until dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. Shape tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls and roll each in chopped pecans. Place the balls 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use thumb or wooden spoon handle to make indention in center of each ball. Chill for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in batches until light golden brown, 15 – 18 minutes. Remove from oven, press indentation again slightly. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store in airtight container. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jelly into each indentation right before serving.
The original recipe called for 1 ½ cups chopped pecans. I found 1 cup was more than enough. After rolling ball of dough into pecans, make indentation into ball while still in bowl of pecans, so the excess fall back into bowl rather than on baking sheet. Also the bottoms of wafers get some extra pecans pressed into the surface which gives them a great texture and more pecan flavor.
I rarely use salted butter in recipes, but it makes all the difference here.
May be baked ahead and frozen for up to 3 months. Flash freeze wafers then wrap well in plastic. Let thaw then fill with pepper jelly or jam of choice right before serving.
Elizabeth Heiskell, best-selling author and TODAY show food contributor, puts her one-of-a-kind touch on updating the top-selling Southern Living cookbook of all time, 1972's Southern Living Party Cookbook. Divided by occasion, this modern-day reinterpretation of the Southern Living classic offers a fresh lineup of party ideas, including a Bridal Tea, Garden Club Luncheon, Summer Nights, Cocktails and Canapés, Tailgate, Picnic on the Lawn, Fall Dinner, and 24 more gatherings you'll want to host.
I have a second copy to give away courtesy of Meredith Special Interest Media/Books.
Visit HERE to enter and win a copy.
This giveaway is open through midnight January 25th to those living in the continental U.S.
Yum! Tell the pups and my favorite brother-in-law Hello….Stay warm and dry!
OH my, these look delicious. Keeping my fingers crossed to win this fabulous cookbook.
Used to make these at Christmas using both red and green pepper jelly.So good and always a bit at parties. Think I will make some for Super Bowl with some hot pepper and cherry jam I have on hand. Thanks for reminding me of these easy and yummy snacks. Stay dry on another rainy day in N.C.
These look great! Would make a fun Valentine… especially with the red jelly.
Yum, these remind me of ones that my Mother made with rice krispies in them. I love the idea of the hot pepper jelly too! Thank you for the inspiration :) I love menu based cookbooks…. they give you ideas to build on! have a great day Mary.
These look too good! I can think of lots of ways to use them. Thanks for the recipe!
Looks like a fun cookbook! I'll try this recipe for sure!
Well aren't you just the hostess with the mostest — can't wait to try these — sounds devine!
Oh Mary, these look delicious, and perfect to keep on hand in the freezer when you have unexpected guests! This cookbook looks like one I really need to add to my collection!
I'm with your husband, I'll skip the jam! This type of bite is my hands down favorite, I think there is a batch in the very near future! Interesting about the salted butter, do you think you could use unsalted butter and add a little salt to the dough?? Thanks Mary, a wonderful nibble!
These look wonderful! I may make some ahead of time to take to my Spring retreat – we always have a table of good homemade foods to share.
These sound delicious, I have farmers market pepper jellies also.
So I will be making these.
Thanks for the tip on freshly shredded cheese v. bagged pre-shredded cheese. I had forgotten about the added ingredients that may alter the end product!
Mary this recipe is similar to one I have made for many years pressing a Pecan half on the top before baking. I add Tabasco sauce for a little zing but would like to give this recipe a try since I have a nice supply of pepper jelly in my cupboard thanks to a bumper crop of peppers this summer. Thank you.
This recipe sounds tasty. Is the jelly mild or hot? I've never tasted it before.
I had already noticed this book and bought and it has been a lot of fun going through it.
Those look scrumptious! Can't wait to try them and I believe it'll be soon! Thank you for the recipe.
True confession time… This Yankee has never had a cheese straw! ~I heard that gasp:@) But they are on my list to try Mary!
Mary, extra sharp cheddar and pepper jelly is a win for these thumbprint wafers. They look delish!
Sounds yummy….I'll be making them tomorrow as I'm planning on having friends over for dinner.
Oh, I must make these! I have some green hot pepper jelly that I made this past summer!
Love cheese! These sound so good! Will pin for sure and have to make them soon!
Your little morsels look so sparkly and colorful, Mary! Thank you for sharing a recipe from your newest cookbook.
Looks delish! The pepper jelly sold me!
I made these and they are wonderful…I'll be making them again for a baby shower. I used raspberry and fig jam. I also froze them and they were just as good. Great to make ahead. Thank you for sharing!