Cheesy Hammy Dodgers – no it isn’t a typo!

Cheesy Hammy Dodgers

I feel I need to confess something. I have a weakness for cookie cutters. I really didn’t realise quite how bad this problem was until I was clearing “the drawer” in my kitchen. Suddenly, when they were spread all over the work-surface, I could see just how many I had, and how many were still in their packaging. This put me in a quandary. I had also recently audited Mintcustard. Noticing just how many sugary posts I’d made I had vowed to try to redress the bias with a few savoury recipes.

Was it possible to use cookie cutters and create a savoury recipe at the same time?

Of course it is. I do hope you enjoy these Hammy dodgers. a light cheesy puffy biscuit, a dash of honey mustard and a slice of ham. Very moreish.

Smiley face cookie cutters

Using my most recent cookie cutter purchase, they can be made for children at home over the holidays, popped into packed lunches or served with a big bowl of soup for a Saturday lazy lunch. I’m sure they would be a hit at birthday parties too. If you prefer not to eat meat then a smear of red or green pesto works wonderfully as does Marmite. If the grown-ups feel left out I can vouch for the fact that tapenade is brilliant in these biscuits too. This is really just my cheese straw recipe with the odd tweak.

Four simple ingredients.

These snacks have been a huge hit with my now very much grown teens! It is still vitally important that all our children, whatever their ages, are encourage to make wise choices in the food they consume. With this in mind I’m entering the recipe into the Organix #NoJunk Challenge Blog Hop over at Recipes from a Normal Mum. Why not sign up to the challenge here and join in too.

Ingredients  make 30 cookies or 15 hammy dodgers

150 g soft butter

150 g plain flour

150 g  extra strong cheese (finely grated)

1 egg yolk

A smiley faces cookie cutter set (mine came from Sainsburys)

baking trays lines with parchment

Filling 

ham

mustard

pesto

marmite

How to

• Place the flour, cheese butter and an egg yolk into a big bowl.
• Get your hands in as the warmth from your hands is essential in getting the dough to form.
• When the dough comes together, it is very soft but don’t panic, wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200c
• Take the dough out from the fridge and place on a floured work surface.
• Roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin.
• Cut out an equal number of tops and bottoms of your biscuit.

Remember to make equal amounts of tops and bottoms!

• Place on your baking trays and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp.
• Allow to cool for a little on the trays and then transfer to a wire rack.

Smiles all round.

• When completely cool either sandwich together with a filling of your choice and eat within the next couple of hours or place the unfilled biscuits in a tin for up to 48 hours.

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