Name: Chile-Cheese Cookies
Total time: 45 minutes (plus chilling time)
Yield: Makes about 24
Ingredients: 5 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. (69 g) granulated sugar; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; 1¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp. (237 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface; 8 oz. sharp yellow cheddar, coarsely grated; ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½" pieces; 2 Tbsp. Aleppo-style pepper or gochugaru (coarse Korean red pepper powder); 2 Tbsp. raw sugar

ChileCheese Shortbread on a green background

Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jesse Szewczyk, prop styling by Hazel Zavala and Caroline Newton

These cookies might just be the savory treat you are craving after being surrounded by sweets all season. Not to be confused with a cracker, these are soft and buttery cookies balanced by just the right amount of salty cheese and gentle kick from chile heat. They are super simple to make, which means they’re ideal for when you want to whip up something quick.

What you’ll need

Box Grater
$11 At Amazon
Food Processor
$63 At Amazon
Paring Knife
$10 At Amazon
Wire Cooling Rack
$18 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$30 $28 At Amazon

Recipe notes