Cheddar-Cayenne Coins

By tammy1365

Ingredients

• 6 oz. (1-1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 3 oz. (about 1-1/4 cups) finely shredded sharp Cheddar (or half Cheddar and half Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 1 tsp. table salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, chilled
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 Tbs. water
• 1-1/2 oz. (1/3 cup) medium finely chopped walnuts
• Kosher salt for sprinkling (optional)

Details

Servings 48
Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

These are fairly spicy, so use the smaller amount of cayenne if you want a milder kick. Pecans or pine nuts would work in place of the walnuts.

Combine the flour, cheese, salt, and cayenne in a food processor. Process until just blended. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the yolk and water together with a fork and drizzle over the mixture. Pulse until the dough begins to form small moist crumbs. Add the chopped nuts and pulse briefly until the crumbs begin to come together.

Heat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment. Using a thin, sharp knife, cut the log into scant 1/4-inch slices. Arrange about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared sheets. Bake until medium to deep golden around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets as needed for even baking. If you like, sprinkle the crackers with a little kosher salt just as the baking sheets come out of the oven. Set the sheets on racks to cool. When the coins are completely cool, store them in an airtight container.

Make Ahead Tips

These are so tasty... after baking they will store great in a well sealed container. In fact I almost like them better 3 or 4 days later. Another bonus is they are very quick and super easy to make.