Everyone loves a warm and crumbly homemade treat hot out of the oven. But who knew that making cookies, cakes, pies, and brownies could be so much fun? Adriana Rabinovich, owner of the Little Red Barn company, is a master at creating dense, moist cakes; gooey brownies; and buttery cookies that have her customers oohing and aahing with pleasure.
These homemade cheese crackers are light and flaky, and make good pre-dinner nibbles as they're not too filling. Have a little play with the amount of spice you use, and try caraway seeds, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds as alternative toppings. I like these with a hearty cayenne kick and sprinkled with fennel seeds.
Makes: 60 crescents
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (use any hard cheese like Parmesan or Cheddar)
1 egg white, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons fennel seeds (optional)
Combine the flour, salt, cayenne, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour, using your fingertips, lifting the mixture above the bowl as you work to incorporate air and keep the mixture light. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and cheese. Gather the mixture into a dough and knead lightly. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour so that it's easier to handle. Shape the dough into a disk and flatten it out slightly. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for a few hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Fold the rectangle into thirds, then give the dough a quarter turn clockwise. Roll the dough out again, and repeat the folding and turning. Roll out the dough for a third time, into a rectangular shape about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out crescent shapes using a cookie cutter and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently gather up the scraps, re-roll as necessary, and cut out more crescents. Don't re-roll the pastry more than twice or you'll lose some of the flaky texture.
Brush the crescents with a little of the egg white mixture and sprinkle with fennel seeds, if using. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Transfer to wire racks and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Note: Instead of a crescent-shaped cookie cutter, you could use a plain round 2-inch cookie cutter.
