Crisp Parmesan Cream Crackers
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking.
Thin, crisp squares of buttery cracker dough rich with grated hard cheese and bound with cream, baked until evenly golden.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Heat. Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan) and line a tray with baking paper. A fully hot oven sets the thin dough quickly, so the crackers crisp rather than dry out slowly.
- 2
Crumb. Pulse the flour, salt, cheese and cold butter in a food processor until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Coating the flour in fat now keeps the crackers tender and short.
- 3
Bind. With the motor running, pour in the cream, then add more a teaspoon at a time just until the dough clumps into a ball. It should feel firm, not sticky; too much liquid makes the crackers tough.
- 4
Roll. Roll the dough to 2-3 mm thick on a lightly floured sheet of baking paper. Trim the edges, cut into 5 cm squares without pulling them apart, prick each square twice with a fork and slide the paper onto the tray. Pricking lets steam escape so the crackers stay flat.
- 5
Bake. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until evenly golden. The edge pieces colour first, so lift them off early if they are ready before the middle.
- 6
Cool. Move the crackers to a wire rack and let them cool, then snap them apart along the cuts. They are slightly soft from the oven and crisp up as they cool.
Storage
Store in an airtight tin for up to 5 days. If they soften, re-crisp at 180 °C for 3-4 minutes. Unbaked dough can be frozen, well wrapped, for 1 month. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- food processor
- baking tray
- baking paper
- rolling pin
- pizza wheel or sharp knife
- fork
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 208 kcal |
| Protein | 5.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 16.5 g |
| of which sugars | 0.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 13.5 g |
| of which saturates | 8.5 g |
| Fibre | 0.6 g |
| Salt | 0.8 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
