Description
Cheese crisps are a very civilized item to keep on hand for entertaining. Bake them ahead and store them in a tin ready to serve or, even better, shape the dough into logs and keep in the freezer, ready to “slice and bake” at a moment’s notice.
Scale
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup fine corn meal
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a shallow, dry skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sesame oil and Parmesan cheese until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, cayenne and mustard. Whisk in the sesame seeds.
- A third at a time, stir the dry ingredients into the Parmesan cheese mixture to make a smooth dough. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into an evenly shaped log about 6 inches (15 cm) long (see Note). Wrap in waxed paper and chill until firm, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Enclose the logs in freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month. Let soften for 5 minutes before cutting and baking.)
- Cut the chilled logs into 1/4-inch (5 mm) slices. Arrange about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake in the centre of a 350°f (180°c) oven until the crisps are golden around the edge and on the bottom, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crisps firm up for a couple of minutes on the sheets on a cooling rack. Transfer the crisps to the rack to cool completely. (Make-ahead: Layer the crisps with waxed paper in airtight containers and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Notes
For perfectly round crisps, roll the chilled dough a few times to round out any flat sides that may have developed. For square crisps (and easy slicing), form the dough into a square log before chilling.