These Leptsteeltjie are delicious and very easy to make biscuits/cookies. If you are looking for a combination of savory and sweet cookie combination, then you are at the right place. These cheese cookies filled with apricot jam are perfect for holiday giftings.
Leptsteeltjie is a South African savory cheese cookie filled with an apricot jam. The name Leptsteeltjie is an Afrikaans word translated as spoon handle treat. This indicates how the holes in the cookies’ center are made with a wooden spoon. The holes are filled with apricot jam before baking.
This is the first cookie recipe among the collection of south African cookie recipes for this year’s cookie countdown to Christmas. I hope you will come back every weekday to the blog for the rest of the cookie recipes.
Why you will like the recipe
- Very easy to make, and all you need is a bowl and a wooden spoon or spatula. You can also mix the ingredients with your hand. You can also use a food processor.
- Simple ingredient lists that you may have in your pantry.
- Soft and delicious cookies or biscuits, requires no rolling.
- Low in sugar, the cookies do not contain sugar and get sweetness from the apricot jam.
Ingredients
- Butter: use room-temperature unsalted butter.
- Cheese: I used grated mild cheddar cheese
- Flour: all-purpose flour for structure
- Salts: to enhance the flavor of the cookies
- Baking powder: the baking powder help the cookies to rise.
- Apricot Preserve or jam: this adds sweetness to the savory cookies. Other fruit jams can work as well.
These are all the ingredients needed, the recipe couldn’t be easy than this.
Step-by-step instructions on how to make South African Cheese and apricot cookies
The detailed instruction with all the measurements will be in the recipe card below.
Step one: Making the dough
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, add the room-temperature butter and grated cheese and rub them into the flour until it forms a dough.
If you are making the dough in a food processor, then add the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixed. Add the cheese and the butter to the flour mixture, then pulse until everything comes together. If the dough is very soft, then chill the dough in a refrigerator for about 30 minutes and up to 3 days to firm it up.
Step two: Forming the Cookies
Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop the cookie dough and roll it into balls. Place on a lined baking sheet.
Use the back end of a wooden spoon handle to make a hole in the center of each biscuit – make sure not to push it right through the biscuit. Fill each hole with the apricot jam.
Step three: baking the cookies
Bake the cookies/ biscuits in a preheated oven until lightly browned around the bottom edges, about 10-12 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer them to a wire rack.
Expert tips for making the recipe
- Use a small amount of jam to fill each hole. If you use too much jam, it will bubble over the edges when baking.
- Make sure not to push the wooden spoon right through the biscuit.
- If the dough is too soft, then put it in the fridge to firm up a bit before proceeding.
- After baking the biscuit or cookies and the jam has reduced, you can top up the hole with additional jam before serving.
- Chill the biscuit or cookie dough when soft to prevent overspreading during baking.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
You can prepare and chill the cookie dough for up to 3 days. Freeze-baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before baking.
More Cookie Recipes you will Like
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies Recipe
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Thanks for reading. As always, know that God loves you, and stay blessed!
Happy baking
Linda
Lepelsteeltjies (Cheese and Jam Biscuits/ Cookies)
Ingredients
- 140 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 120 g (1 cup) white or mild cheddar, finely grated
- 113 g (1/2 cup) butter, (room temperature)
- 4 tbsp (¼ cup) fine apricot jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside
- Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl, add the salt and mix together. Add the room temperature butter and grated cheese and rub them into the flour until it forms a dough.
- If you are making the dough in a food processor, then add the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixed. Add the cheese and the butter to the flour mixture then pulse until everything comes together. If the dough is very soft, then chill the dough in a refrigerator for about 30 minutes and up to 3 days to firm it up.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop the cookie dough and roll into balls. Place on a lined baking sheet.
- Use the back end of a wooden spoon handle to make a hole in the center of each biscuit – take care not to push it right through the biscuit. Fill each hole with the apricot jam. You can use your thumbs to create the hole as well.
- Bake the cookies until lightly browned around the bottom edges, about 10-12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack.
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