It’s nearly New Year. I don’t want to be all ‘Bah Humbug!’
but I’m not a fan of Hogmanay. Don’t know why, but it’s never been my favourite
time of year, I’m much more a Christmas person.
We usually watch the London fireworks on the TV, and always
say we will go down for New Year to see them first-hand, but always end up
going later in the month.
Anyway, I digress! If you are having folk around for New
Year, or are staying in with some nibbles and wine, like us, this easy recipe
may be for you.
I love those cheesy goldfish crackers and there are others
on the market now, such as llama’s and other random shapes. So I have made
these addictive cheese crackers in the shape of owls. This may be fitting to
eat when watching the ‘Hootenanny’ on the box(!).
This is just like making a cheese pastry - flour, butter, water
and cheese, bit of salt and that’s it. Get strong flavoured cheddar, as that is
what makes these nibbly delights. You can of course cut into any small shape
you fancy. But try make sure they are no more than 1/8 inch thick. Any thicker
and they have no crunch to them. They have a scone like texture instead, which
is not that bad I suppose.
Ingredients:
120 grams plain flour
60 grams cold butter, cubed
Pinch of salt
220 grams strong cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons cold water
Adapted from Food4Tots.com
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 170C and line a couple of cookie sheets
with greaseproof paper.
In a food processor pulse together the flour, butter and
salt until it resembles breadcrumbs (if you don’t have a food processor, cut
the butter in with two knives).
Place the breadcrumb mix into a large bowl and
add the cheese. Mix the cheddar through with your fingers. Add the two
tablespoons of water and with your hands mix until a solid ball of dough forms.
Split the ball in half and form them into discs. Wrap each half in clingfilm place into the fridge to chill for 30
minutes.
Take one dough disc out and with a rolling pin, roll the
dough out on a lightly floured worktop until it is 1/8 inch thick.
Cut out
shapes with whatever cutter you are using and transfer to the prepared cookie
sheet. With the leftovers, roll back into a ball and roll out again until is
all used up. Repeat with the other disc of dough.
Bake the crackers in the oven for 15 minutes. Let them bake
as long as you dare without them beginning to burn. They will turn darker, but
this is cheese browning. The darker they get, the crispier they will be.
Let them cool for a few minutes before transferring to an
airtight container to store them. They will last for a couple of days if you
can resist them that long – enjoy!
I fancy giving these a go, but I don't have a cutest owl cutter :-( will let you know how I get on though! Thanks...
ReplyDeleteAny shape would work equally as well Fanny!
DeleteCool! Goldfish meet owls!
ReplyDeleteI know, it's a hoot! ;)
DeleteOh, these are too cute! I'd totally make these for anything Harry Potter themed!
ReplyDelete