Eggless, whole wheat crispy Masala Cheese Cookies spiced with Indian spices like ajwain, kasuri methi and flavored with pepper jack cheese.
These make a perfect pairing with masala chai! Are you team sweet or savory when it comes to festive food? I am both! I definitely need my sweets but at the same time the savory snacks are needed to balance all the sweetness. Isn’t it?
While working on my Diwali recipe list that I wanted to share with you guys this year, I made sure to include both sweet and savory. And one of my personal favorite savory recipe that I developed were these Masala Cheese Cookies.
Ingredients
1.5 cups atta whole wheat flour, 195 grams
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoons ajwain carom seeds
1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons kasuri methi crushed, dried fenugreek leaves
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
3/4 cup grated cheese 70 grams, I used pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter 113 grams, at room temperature
2 tablespoons powdered sugar 28 grams
1.5-2 tablespoons milk 22 ml-30 ml, as needed
Method
* To a large bowl, add atta, baking powder and salt. Mix using a wire whisk.
* Then add to it ajwain, kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric, crushed kasuri methi, red chili powder. Mix well.
* Then add grated pepper jack cheese. Mix the cheese with your hands, breaking it and mixing it with the flour using your fingers. Now set this aside.
* To a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or use your hand mixer, add butter and sugar and mix them until creamy and well combined, around 1-2 minutes on medium speed.
* Add half of the flour mixture and mix.
* Then add remaining flour mix along with milk and mix.
* Dough should come together if using paddle attachment. Else you can use your hands to bring the dough together. Wrap the dough with a cling sheet and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees.
* Then using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into cookies, I used square shape cookie cutter and cut 2 x 2, size square cookies. Cut cookies until all the dough is finished.
* I got 32 such cookies out of this dough.
* Arrange all cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between each.
* Prick them with a fork if you want so that they don't rise while baking and you get flat top cookies. Bake at 350 F degrees for 20 minutes for crispy cookies. Check at 18 minutes especially if your oven runs too hot.
* Transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store these masala cheese cookies in an airtight container and enjoy with chai!