Serve these very easy to make crackers at your next dinner party and your guests will be impressed, guaranteed.
Course
Appetizer
Prep Time40minutes
Cook Time20minutes
Total Time1hour
Servings6-8
AuthorLemons & Anchovies
Ingredients
1/4pound1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3ouncessharp cheddar cheesegrated with a Microplane grater for finer shreds
1tablespoon+ 1 teaspoon fennel seedsplus more for sprinkling, optional
1 1/4cupsall-purpose flour
Pinchkosher saltskip this if you use salted butter
A pinch or two of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for about one minute. With the mixer on low speed, add the cheese, salt, pepper and fennel seeds just until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Then add the flour, the mixer still on low speed, and turn off the mixer once the mixture is in large crumbles, about one minute.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, press into a ball then roll it into a 9-inch log. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before slicing and baking.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350℉. Slice the dough into roughly 3/8-thick rounds and lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can sprinkle more fennel seeds on top of the rounds if you wish.
Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through the cooking time, until very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature. You can store these in an airtight container for a couple of days. Makes about 24 rounds.