These Farmer’s Cheese Cookies don’t taste cheesy as one would expect in a gooey, cheese-pull kind of way. Instead, the cheese here adds a touch of savory flavor and a lot of light, chewy texture.
Cookies like this are traditional in Ukraine and Russia. I found a nice block of Ukrainian Tvorog Farmer’s Cheese at Lee Lee Grocery on 75th Ave in Phoenix; check your own local import markets for similar cheese.
Expect a dry, crumbly texture in the cheese. Mine became somewhat powdery as I broke it down, which was fine. I was able to incorporate everything with an extra touch of water, which is a pretty common thing for me to do with roll-out cookies in Phoenix. It’s very dry here compared to most other places.
The end result is a cookie that, quite honestly, tastes fancy–light, crisp, sugary, like something that one would find in a fine bakery. Most people wouldn’t guess there’s cheese in the dough, I bet, but they’ll know there’s something different about them. Something delicious.
These sweet, beautiful cookies originate in Ukraine and Russia. Look for farmer’s cheese in a local European import market. This recipe makes about 60 cookies.
Course: Dessert, Snack
Keyword: cheese, cookies
Servings: 60
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
grater or food processor
pastry blender
3-inch round cutter or the top of a glass
parchment paper
saucer or bowl
Rolling Pin
Ingredients
1cupunsalted butter 2 sticks, chilled
8ozfarmer's cheese such as Ukrainian Tvorog cheese
2cupsall-purpose flour
2egg yolks
2-3Tablespoonswater
1 1/2cupswhite sugar
Instructions
Grate the butter using a hand grater or a grater attachment on a food processor. In a large bowl, use a pastry blender to cut in the cheese, which will be crumbly. Add the flour, followed by the yolks and water. Knead the dough until it comes together in a cohesive mass.
Form the dough into a disc and encase it in plastic wrap to chill for anywhere from an hour to several days.
When it’s cookie time, preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a small amount of water in a saucer or bowl. Measure the white sugar into a deep bowl.
Prepare a clean work surface with a dusting of flour. Break off some of the dough and roll it into a thin layer, like for a pie crust. Use the cutter to slice out 3-inch rounds; place the leftover and unused dough to chill in the fridge while cookies are shaped.
Dampen fingers in the prepared water. Brush wet fingers over one side of a dough round. Dip moist dough into the sugar to coat it. Fold in half with the sugared portion on the inside. Dampen fingers and stroke another folded side of the dough, and dip that in sugar. Fold a final time with the sugared section on the inside. Use wet fingers on outside of cookie and coat that in sugar, too. Gently press the pleats together to prevent them from unfolding during baking. Place formed cookie on sheet and repeat process with remaining rounds.
Bring together dough scraps, using a little water if needed, to roll out again. Use rest of dough to form cookies.
Bake in batches for 19 to 22 minutes, until puffed and set with a golden base. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
Chicken and Rice Soup is the ultimate classic, home-cooking, feel-better-soon kind of meal. I’m stunned I haven’t featured it on Bready or Not before, but here it is now: my take on the old favorite.
I’ve tweaked this over the years to get the balance of liquids and seasonings just right. I make this a couple times a year. It’s my stand-by if my husband is sick–it’s hearty, hot, sits well in the stomach, and the sheer amount made means the leftovers can last for days (which is nice if I come down sick next, too).
This classic from-scratch recipe takes time to make, about an hour, but results in a flavorful broth especially welcome when someone is sick or needs to warm up. Use already-cooked chicken or turkey (this is a great way to use up holiday leftovers!). The leftovers keep well in the fridge or can be frozen, too.
Course: Main Course, Soup
Keyword: chicken, rice, soup and stew
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
stock pot or other large pot with lid
Ingredients
1cupbaby carrots chopped
2Tablespoonsdried celery flakes
1Tablespoondried onion flakes
1teaspoongarlic powder
64ozreduced sodium chicken broth2 boxes or 4 cans
3Tablespoonsflour
1/2cupshort grain white rice such as sushi rice
1teaspoondried thyme
1teaspoondried rosemary or 1 freshly-cut sprig
2bay leaves
2 to 3cupsshredded rotisserie chicken or cooked turkey
1 1/2cupshalf & half
Instructions
Place carrots, celery flakes, dried onion, and garlic powder in a large pot along with 1 can of chicken broth (if using a box of broth, just pour in about 1/2 of one; no need to be exact). Sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes, until carrots are tender. Sprinkle in flour and stir for another few minutes.
Add rest of broth along with the rice, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring pot to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cover pot. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes. When the rice is tender, add the chicken or turkey. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in half & half and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove both bay leaves. Add salt and pepper to preference. Serve hot. Leftovers can keep in the fridge or days or can be frozen.
These No-Bake Almond Granola Bars are fast to make and contain wholesome, basic ingredients. Plus, they are delicious.
I made this recipe several times to find the right balance of ingredients. Too many almonds and oats, and nothing sticks together. You think it’s solid until you try to cut the chilled bars. (I speak from experience.)
I find it fun to make little swaps with the ingredients, too. Use cashew butter or another kind of nut butter! Try different varieties of honey. You could even use pumpkin spice mix or other spices to give it a different vibe.
The end result will keep for a week or two in the fridge, and even longer in the freezer!
Bready or Not Original: No-Bake Almond Granola Bars
These no-bake breakfast/snack bars use straightforward, delicious ingredients to make a likewise delicious bar.
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Keyword: almond, maple, no bake, oats
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
9×9 pan
aluminum foil
nonstick spray
food processor
waxed paper
heavy glass
Ingredients
1cupsalmonds or buy pre-chopped almonds
2cupsquick-cooking oats
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
1/2teaspoonfine sea saltreduce if using regular table salt or salted nut butter
1 1/2cupscreamy almond butter
1/2cupmaple syrup or honey
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
Instructions
Line a 9×9 square pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
If the almonds are whole, give them a rough chop in food processor, just a few pulses.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, and salt, and stir to blend. If the almond butter is stiff, measure it into a separate microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 20-30 seconds to soften it. Add almond butter, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract to the big bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir together until it forms a cohesive mass. If it seems too liquid, add more oats; if it’s too dry, add more almond butter. Stir in the chopped almonds to distribute them throughout.
Dump the mixture into the prepared pan. Even out some, then use a pan-size piece of wax paper and a heavy glass to compress the dough evenly.
Stash the pan in the fridge for at least an hour, or until the next day. Slice into bars of desired size. Store between stacked waxed paper layers in the fridge, or freeze for later enjoyment.
These Cheesecake-Stuffed Chocolate Cookies are big, rich, and incredible. You get a core of cream cheese surrounded by chocolate-laden dough. I mean, come on.
For this recipe, you need to make the dough and filling in advance. I made them a day ahead, but you want at least a few hours of refrigeration time. You also chill the cookie dough right after it’s shaped. That means you need some empty room in the fridge for doing this recipe.
This is also a recipe where you really do need a tablespoon and teaspoon scoop to produce even cookies. That, or you just naturally have a good eye for estimating such things.
Bready or Not: Cheesecake-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe makes about 24 indulgent, large cookies that load a lot of goodness into a single bite. Make the dough and filling at least a few hours ahead of time. This is definitely a recipe where tablespoon and teaspoon scoops are necessary to create cookies of equal size. Modified from Allrecipes Magazine Feb/March 2022.
Course: Dessert
Keyword: cheese, chocolate, cookies
Servings: 24cookies
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
tablespoon and teaspoon scoops
fridge space
parchment paper
Ingredients
Filling
8ouncescream cheese room temperature
1/2cupconfectioners’ sugar
Cookie Dough
3/4cupunsalted butter (1 and a half sticks) room temperature
3/4cupwhite sugar
3/4cupbrown sugarpacked
2large eggs room temperature
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
2 1/4cupsplus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
3/4teaspoonsalt
12ounceschocolate chips
Instructions
Make the filling
Beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar to make a smooth mixture with few if any lumps. Stash it in the fridge to chill for a few hours or overnight.
Make the cookie dough
Beat together the butter and both sugars until they are creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually pour this into the butter mixture, scraping the bottom of the bowl to make certain everything is combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Baking the cookies
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Also, make room in the fridge for a small baking pan or plates on which the formed cookies will chill.
Scoop out a tablespoon of cookie dough. Use a thumb to hollow out the center. Scoop out about 3/4 teaspoon of cream cheese mix using the smaller scoop. Place that inside the hollow. Fold the dough to enclose it, adding additional pinches of dough as needed to form a seal. You don't want any cream cheese visible, or it could ooze out! Flatten cookies between palms to make a fat disc. Set in fridge to chill as more cookies are shaped.
Once all the cookies are shaped, pull out the coldest cookie balls to set, spaced out, on the baking sheet. Keep the remaining cookie balls chilled while the initial batch(es) bake.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies are golden. Let them rest on the sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to completely cool.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.