Parmesan Thumbprint Cookies with Tomato-Tart Cherry Jam

Preparation To make the jam, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until tender and aromatic but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, dried cherries, water, thyme, and salt and continue cooking until the cherries are plumped and the tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool, then puree the jam in the food processor, adding a bit more water as needed to achieve a texture a bit thinner than applesauce. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Combine the flour and Parmesan cheese in a food processor and pulse until the cheese is finely ground and well blended with the flour. Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse just until a cohesive dough forms, scraping down the sides as needed; avoid overmixing. Form the dough into 24 balls about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and set them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to make an indentation (it's normal for the edges to crack a bit, but you can gently pinch together any particularly large cracks). Fill each indentation with some of the jam, about 1/2 teaspoon each. Bake the cookies until firm and nicely browned around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Because this dough is a bit dense, be sure the cookies are thoroughly cooked, beyond just a light golden brown. If you pull them out too soon they may still be a bit underdone in the center. You can always snag one from the tray and break it in two to check—a snack for the cook. Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Arrange the cookies on a platter for serving, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Seeding TomatoesIn most recipes for which I'm using fresh tomatoes, I don't bother with seeding them before using. But in this case, I do prefer to use just the firmer tomato flesh, discarding the seeds before chopping the tomato. In this concentrated jam-like mixture, omitting the seeds—which hold a lot of moisture in the membrane that surrounds them—results in a smoother, more consistent texture in the end. To remove the seeds, I halve the tomato across the middle (rather than from end-to-end) and simply use my fingers to scoop out the seeds from the separate cavities in which they're nestled. Reprinted with permission from Salty Snacks: Make Your Own Chips, Crisps, Crackers, Pretzels, Dips, and Other Savory Bites by Cynthia Nims. Copyright © 2012 by Cynthia Nims; photographs copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Martiné. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher Cynthia Nims studied cooking at La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine and has authored or coauthored thirteen cookbooks, including Gourmet Game Night, Memorable Recipes, and Rover's. She is the former editor of Simply Seafood magazine and food editor for Seattle Magazine, and she contributes to Cooking Light, Coasting Living, and Sunset. She ahd her husband live in Seattle, Washington, and her blog, Mon Appétit, can be found at www.monappetit.com.

Preparation To make the jam, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until tender and aromatic but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, dried cherries, water, thyme, and salt and continue cooking until the cherries are plumped and the tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool, then puree the jam in the food processor, adding a bit more water as needed to achieve a texture a bit thinner than applesauce. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Combine the flour and Parmesan cheese in a food processor and pulse until the cheese is finely ground and well blended with the flour. Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse just until a cohesive dough forms, scraping down the sides as needed; avoid overmixing. Form the dough into 24 balls about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and set them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to make an indentation (it's normal for the edges to crack a bit, but you can gently pinch together any particularly large cracks). Fill each indentation with some of the jam, about 1/2 teaspoon each. Bake the cookies until firm and nicely browned around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Because this dough is a bit dense, be sure the cookies are thoroughly cooked, beyond just a light golden brown. If you pull them out too soon they may still be a bit underdone in the center. You can always snag one from the tray and break it in two to check—a snack for the cook. Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Arrange the cookies on a platter for serving, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Seeding TomatoesIn most recipes for which I'm using fresh tomatoes, I don't bother with seeding them before using. But in this case, I do prefer to use just the firmer tomato flesh, discarding the seeds before chopping the tomato. In this concentrated jam-like mixture, omitting the seeds—which hold a lot of moisture in the membrane that surrounds them—results in a smoother, more consistent texture in the end. To remove the seeds, I halve the tomato across the middle (rather than from end-to-end) and simply use my fingers to scoop out the seeds from the separate cavities in which they're nestled. Reprinted with permission from Salty Snacks: Make Your Own Chips, Crisps, Crackers, Pretzels, Dips, and Other Savory Bites by Cynthia Nims. Copyright © 2012 by Cynthia Nims; photographs copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Martiné. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher Cynthia Nims studied cooking at La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine and has authored or coauthored thirteen cookbooks, including Gourmet Game Night, Memorable Recipes, and Rover's. She is the former editor of Simply Seafood magazine and food editor for Seattle Magazine, and she contributes to Cooking Light, Coasting Living, and Sunset. She ahd her husband live in Seattle, Washington, and her blog, Mon Appétit, can be found at www.monappetit.com.