Christmas Morning Wife Saver

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These savoury Spanish cookies are the ideal snack with a glass of wine. You can use of bit ends of various cheese to make these cookies. Adding chopped olives makes a nice variation. Don’t worry if the logs are perfectly round. It’s your heart and soul that you put into them that makes them so wonderful. This dough and the baked cookies both freeze well.

Direction

1 cup (250 ml) flour

1 cup (250 ml) grated cheese (Appenzeller, Manchego, old cheddar, aged gouda, Jarlsberg, Gruyere,  Beaufort, Emmenthal)

¼ lb (125 g) unsalted butter

1 tsp (5 ml) minced fresh rosemary

¼ tsp (1 ml) smoked paprika

½ tsp (2 ml) sweet paprika

Dash of cayenne

Kosher salt to taste

3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced

Directions:

Use your hands, a mixer, or a food processor to combine all the ingredients except the sun-dried tomatoes. Mix to blend and form into supple dough. Remove the dough to the counter and knead in tomatoes.

Shape the dough into a log about 1” (2.5 cm) in diameter. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F (200°C).

Use a sharp, thin knife to slice through the dough into ¼” (5 mm) rounds. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Cool and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 20-30 cookies, depending on thickness.

Recipe Courtesy of Cam Dobranski, owner of Eat Crow, Calgary

Make Filling first (takes a while to cool). Start this before making cake

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt

2. Stir in the cream; add the butter

3. Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted

4. Bring to a boil (careful it does not burn)

5. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

6. Remove from heat and add the chopped nuts and vanilla

7. Set aside to cool

Prepare 3, 9” round cake pans – grease and flour

Preheat oven to 350°F

1. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside

2. In a large mixing bowl beat oil and sugar for 1 minute

3. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternately with the eggs. Mix well

4. Stir in the carrots, raisins, and chopped nuts

5. Pour the batter evenly into the 3 prepared cake pans

6. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the centre comes out clean

7. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then invert on wire racks to cool completely

Beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in icing sugar and beat until smooth

Assembling the Cake: Place half of the filling between each layer. Frost the sides and the top of the cake with the cream cheese frosting.

Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 16-20 servings

Recipe from Monica Herle