Recipe: Cheese Crescents (homemade crackers)

CHEESE CRESCENTS

"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."

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
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 (for brushing tops)
2 tablespoons fennel seeds (optional, for sprinkling on tops)

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.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
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.

VARIATION:
Instead of a crescent-shaped cookie cutter, you could use a plain round 2-inch cookie cutter.

Makes 60 crackers
Source: The Little Red Barn Baking Book by Adriana Rabinovich