These lacy little crisps are just what you need for an easy and stress-free holiday party.
Serve them as an appetizer with a glass of wine or at the table alongside a bowl of soup. Or just snack on them all by themselves. Be warned, however: It’s impossible to eat just one.
These cheese crisps couldn’t be easier to make. Just grate some cheese, add a little flour and spice, and stir in a spoonful of crunchy seeds.
You can drop them on a baking sheet with a tablespoon, but a 2-inch round cookie cutter helps keep the unwieldy little shreds of cheese from scattering. Use the cutter like a mold and drop spoonfuls inside.
Ingredients6 ounces sharp cheddar (about 2 cups grated)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon black sesame, poppy, coriander, or cumin seed
Method* Heat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using the large holes of a grater, grate the cheese.
* Make the crisp mix: In a bowl, combine the flour, paprika, baking powder, and cayenne.
* Add the butter, and mix with a fork or your fingers until blended in. Stir in the seeds. Add the grated cheese and toss with your hands to combine.
* Form and bake the crisps: Mound tablespoon-size portions of the cheese mixture on the baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Flatten them slightly with the back of the spoon.
* It's not absolutely necessary, but you can also use a 2-inch round cookie cutter as a mold to keep the cheese tidy if you like.
* Place the cutter on the baking sheet and drop a spoonful of cheese mix into it. Lift the cutter, level the cheese, and repeat until you have made all the crisps.
* Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Let the crisps cool completely on the baking sheets. Lift the edge of the parchment to lift the crisps off the baking sheet, then peel them off. Store in an airtight container.