Think of cookies and the first thing that generally comes to mind are sweet, round or shaped crunchy or crisp baked dough. I make different types of cookies quite often as my daughter loves home-made ones.
While I do enjoy the occasional cookie, I prefer savoury snacks to sweet as I have what I call a “savoury tooth” as opposed to the others here who have “sweet teeth”! So I’m always on the look out for something that’s salty (preferably a bit spicy too) as that perfect accompaniment to my tea.
This cookie is the result of some experimenting with some flavours we like. The butter and the pastry making technique produce a flaky and and slightly crisp cookie. You can use herbs of your choice like oregano, rosemary, basil or a mix of two herbs instead. Chives are another good thing to add. You could lightly flavour these cookies with garlic.
Leave out the black pepper and use red chilli flakes instead. Leave out the herbs altogether and use coarsely crushed cumin. The possibilities for different flavours/ flavour combinations are endless.
Savoury Herb and Pepper Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter , cold (cut into small pieces)
- 1/2 cup cheese finely grated
- 1 egg , beaten
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsps pepper freshly crushed
- 1 - 2 tbsps water chilled
Instructions
- Rub the butter into the flour till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Now add the cheese, egg, pepper, herbs, baking powder, and enough of the chilled water to bind the mixture into a dough that comes together and can be rolled out. Do not knead or handle the dough much.
- Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface, roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 190C (375F) for about 15 minutes till golden brown.
- Cool on a rack and the cookies will be flaky and crisp on the outside. Serve with coffee or tea.
Notes
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
Sadly, I like savoury as well as sweet snacks. I suppose for me a balanced diet would be to have one these yummy morsels in one hand and a chocolate chip cookie in the other.
Havent tried savoury cookies..Time to try..love the diff shapes..
Never tried savory cookies. This could be an interesting and unusual side dish. So many possible flavor additions with this recipe.
I just tasted a savoury cookie from a bakery the other day, v nice, but also tasted like onion pakoda! They looked like yours, tho’ not the taste!
That is an interesting cookie–I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like it. I’ll have to keep this in mind
Oh these are wonderful savoury cookies – served with a little cheese and pickle -perfect!! Rosie x
Hi…This is a very nice and different recipe. Looks so good. Love the shape of the cookies.Happy Independence day!…..
Now this is the kind of cookie I can get behind.I am not really into sweet stuff. I’ve bookmarked this and will definitely try it soon.
I love home-made ones as well…these herb cookies look good…
Aparna, These savory thingies are lovable. better than any sweets 🙂
Just sealing my friendship with you with a little badge! Do pick it up:)
lovely and delicious cookies
Aparna, Happy Independence Day!Savory cookies look and sound great!
lovely these cheese n herb cookies look great! my lil one also prefers savoury to sweet = looks simple enough for a timid baker such as me.
Love your cheese Herb cookies. Will surely try these out.
The list of ingredients tell me these have to taste good! Nice shape too:)
wow – gonna have to make this tomorrow!
Aparna,I love this salted biscuit recipe and since I am tired of making the sweet ones,This sounds great dear.
:D, Dana.True, Jude. They’re open to a lot of variations through addition.Really, Sra. This one doesn’t taste like an onion pakoda. Just chees and lots of calories.:)I’m waiting to hear how they turned out, Mike, Cynthia and Arundati.Friendship sealed, Harini.Yes, these cookies are good if you like savoury, but lots of calories too.:(
I love your recipes & photos always.Your savory cookies look delicious. I have made savory cookies with curry powder. I served them successfully to adults as appetizers with wine. My granddaughter liked them as a change from overly sweet cookies. The simple recipe is 3/4 cup butter, 2 T sugar, 1 tsp each salt and curry powder, 1/4 tsp each turmeric and cayenne and 1-1/4 c flour. Since I thought that was too much butter, I changed the recipe to half soy oil and half butter to make up 3/4 of a cup.
Penny, thanks for the compliment.:)And that recipe. I love savoury cookies and I shall try it and post about them.
Try this again. :)OMG!!!!! I love these!!!! Okay, I did a little addition to them, I added a can of drained and chopped Italian stewed tomatoes and 1/2 cup of flavored bread crumbs to a double batch but this is a recipe that will be added to my list of cookies to make again and again. Too good for mere words. Thank you so much for posting the recipe!!!
Your additions sound good. I’m happy these cookies worked for you. :)Always happy to share a good recipe.
I read your savoury herb and pepper cookies….could I substitute chickpea flour with all-purpose flour and add finely chopped red chilli (fresh) instead of ground black pepper?Tks
MLM, I’m not too sure how chickpea flour would work. The texture of the cookie would be very different and probably too dense. Perhaps you could try subbing about a 1/4 of the all purpose flour with chickpea flour but I cannot guarantee success.You could add red chillies, but I think flakes red chillies might give a better flavour.
Ohh, these sound yummy! I too really like savory and pepper. I love the teardrop shape too.
Thanks. 🙂