The recipe, from NYTimes:
(https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020040-cheese-crackers)
Cheddar crackers. Cheese wafers. Coins, biscuits, straws and crisps. Known by many names and claimed by many grandmothers, they are all the same, delicious thing: a savory, addictive, shortbread cookie. The key to any short dough — that distinctive tender sandy crumbly texture — is the high fat-to-flour ratio, and this version not only relies on butter but also counts on the delicious fats that come from sesame seeds, block Cheddar and even the oil from the pecans. For a remarkable distinction among the many, many versions of these to be found, toast them until just passing golden into brown, and see how that in itself sets these apart.
INGREDIENTS
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose
flour
1 cup loosely packed
grated Cabot Farms Vermont white Cheddar (about 3 ounces)
⅔ cup loosely packed
grated pecorino Romano cheese (about 1 ounce)
1 teaspoon kosher
salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
8 tablespoons (1
stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
⅓ cup pecans, finely
chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons
untoasted white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons ice
water
PREPARATION
1. Add
the flour, both cheeses, salt and cayenne to the bowl of a food processor, and
pulse until combined.
2. Scatter
the cold butter chunks on top, and pulse again to form coarse crumbs.
3. Add
egg yolk, pecans and seeds, and pulse to combine thoroughly, yielding a coarse
grainy meal.
4. Transfer
mixture to a large stainless-steel bowl. Sprinkle the ice water on top, and
knead briefly to bring the dough together, as you would a pie dough.
5. Divide
the dough into thirds, and roll each into a neat, 8-inch-long cylinder that is
about the width of a silver dollar. Wrap each log in plastic wrap, and twist
the ends tightly in opposite directions, forming a perfect and compact torchon.
Refrigerate until well chilled and completely firm; overnight is ideal.
6. Heat
the oven to 375. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick
baking mats. Unwrap the dough, discarding plastic wrap, and slice the logs into
thin coins, each about the width of a pencil.
7. Arrange
the coins in neat rows on the prepared sheets, making sure they’re not quite
touching one another. This dough won’t expand or flatten after baking.
8. Bake
until golden at their centers and just starting to toast at their edges, about
20 minutes. Check them midway through baking, and rotate sheets if your oven
bakes unevenly.
9. Transfer
the baking sheets to wire racks to cool. Once they are fully cooked, transfer
coins to an airtight container, where they will keep for up to 3 weeks.
My Notes:
This came together pretty easily in the food processor.
It needed far less that twenty minutes in my oven, I’d start checking at the 14 minute mark. They don’t spread a ton but each disk does require some space so don’t overcrowd the baking tray.
These get nice and crispy, and I would totally make these again! TK and his mom both approve. These taste fantastic even a few days later.
Made again and took out a few minutes earlier and they were great.
on 4/21/19 - made again-- this time using Wisconsin extra sharp yellow cheddar, and I measured the pecorino volumentrically and I weighed it, and I found that 2/3 cup, loosely packed was closer to 1.8 oz. I would use the 1.8 oz correction in the future and I’d also use yellow cheddar again. This was done at nearly the 12 minute mark!
on 12/8/20 - Made again with Wisconsin sharp cheddar (2.8 oz) and 1.8 oz of pecorino. I also used a smidge of whole wheat pastry flour (like a little less than 1/3 cup) along with the APP. I did the oven at 370 degrees and these baked in about 13 minutes to a nice light gold color. I would use two of the smaller cookie sheets and really don't try to fit them onto one pan. Give them some room to cook!
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