Rosemary Cheese Crisps

By bakers_delight85

These are great as an hors d'oeuvre or snack, as are the sun-dried tomato and goat cheese versions that follow.

Ingredients

• Special Equipment:
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup grated white Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 9 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1-3/4 -inch scalloped round cookie cutter

Preparation

Step 1

Place the flour, Cheddar cheese, 2 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese, the rosemary, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream, olive oil and egg yolk and pulse just until blended. Turn the dough out on a work surface and shape into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm (or up to 2 days). Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it out to a thickness of 1/8 inch, sprinkling it with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Using a 1-3/4 inch scalloped round cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible from the dough and arrange them 1/2 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Reroll the scraps and cut out more crackers until all the dough is used. Sprinkle a small amount of the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top of each cracker. Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time, for 13 to 16 minutes, until light golden brown. Transfer the crackers to a wire rack and cool completely. Sun-Dried Tomato Cheese Crisps: Omit the rosemary and add 3 Tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained) and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil along with the sour cream. Goat Cheese and Herb Crisps: Substitute 1/3 cup firmly packed soft goat cheese for the Cheddar cheese. Add 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives and substitute finely chopped fresh herbs of your choice (such as parsley, thyme, or basil) for the rosemary.