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Cheese Crescents




Source of Recipe


The Little Red Barn Baking Book by Adriana Rabinovich


Recipe Introduction


"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."




List of Ingredients




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)


Recipe



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.

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

YIELD: 5 Dozen Crescents