Hi all,
I am up at the Illinois ranch. Birthplace of Ghostwood. This ranch has a hold on our family. It is beautiful. The changing of the seasons are what I love the most. The temperature on this summer morning is a nice 55 degrees.
We raised our boys here, with cousins and family friends kids, with an open door policy. There was always plenty of work for them to keep busy, and they learned a work ethic that we are all proud of.
As most of you know, Lucas had a dream to create a bourbon. He started that dream in the back of the barn. I remember him sitting in the old tack room, his small still working, notebook open, telling me how he was going to tweak it that day. As his mom, I can’t tell you how proud of him I am. He diligently worked his way to the final product. I won’t say there weren’t doubts and fears along the way. His two brothers helping, pushing him to the finish line. What amazing men they all are.
Anyway, this recipe was created for the summer nights here in Illinois. Relaxing on the back porch, with a glass of Ghostwood, idly chatting about the day. Summer days don’t get any better than that.
Proud to say, Luke’s mom. ❤️
Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 20 minutes Servings: 40
Ingredients
- 4 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated
- 4 ounces monterey jack cheese, grated
- 1-2 tablespoon jalapeno seeds removed
- 1-2 tablespoon rosemary
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ¾ cup semolina flour, or corn meal if you can’t find semolina
- 1 lb – 2 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons vidalia onion, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons GHOSTWOOD
Description
You get two recipes in this appetizer cookie. The GHOSTWOOD tomato jam is awesome. I have never tasted a jam like this. I made it a couple of days before I made the cookies and stored it in a mason jar in the refrigerator. The flavors had time to meld. GHOSTWOOD made this sweet and mellow. I am going to serve it also with some aged Gouda or some crunchy Parmesan on crackers.
This is a very pretty appetizer cookie. It is so crisp and flavorful. I am looking forward to having this on the menu for the holidays, or any get together. After they have cooled, you can store them in the freezer and have them on hand for any last minute fun time with a glass of GHOSTWOOD, of course.
Directions
- In a food processor, grate the cheeses, change out the grater for the blade, then add the rosemary and jalapeño and pulse until fine.
- Cream butter, sugar and salt together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cheese mixture and egg and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl combine flours and add to cheese mixture. Mix until if forms a dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If you refrigerate it longer, let it warm up a bit so that it is easy enough to handle.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Form dough into 1 tablespoon balls and make an indentation in the center. I used the back of a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon. Fill with GHOSTWOOD Tomato Jam.
- Bake for 20 minutes until they are slightly golden brown. It is best to eat right away. If you freeze them or store on kitchen counter, reheat in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes. They will crisp back up.
GHOSTWOOD TOMATO JAM
- Mix all ingredients except GHOSTWOOD in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Continue to boil crushing tomatoes with a spoon or potato masher as they soften.
- Cook for about 8 -20 minutes until it is thick and syrupy.
- My cherry tomatoes were extra juicy so it took a little longer to get thick. Remove from the heat and add the GHOSTWOOD.
- Let cool before placing in cookies. This will make more than you need for the cookies. Store the remaining jam in the refrigerator.
