Last weekend I went on another internet cracker hunt. I found two recipes that had a similar method but completely different ingredient ideas. One is this parmesan black pepper cracker recipe from Stresscake, elaborated below, and the other is a cheddar thyme cracker to be posted next time. Like short bread cookies these crackers are formed into a log, chilled, sliced and then baked. It was only a few weeks ago that I had made my first shortbread cookie ever and I loved it! I love that you can make it in two parts. Mix the dough today and have fresh crackers or cookies tomorrow. Somehow dividing the work makes the whole – I make my own crackers – concept a little less ridiculous. But of course there’s nothing wrong with rolling out the crackers either! My cracker recipe hunt is nowhere near over and I still plan on making the poppy seed crackers regularly as well as expanding with more recipes. It’s just nice to have many snack options! Crackers are awesome alone or with dip or cheese. Snack snack snack. Give these a try…
Parmesan Black Pepper Crackers
this recipe was found on Stresscake
1½ cups all-purpose flower
1 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2/3 cup sour cream
The original recipe suggests using a food processor. I don’t have one. I’m sure the crackers could be mixed by hand but I decided to use the stand mixer instead and it seemed to work just fine. There’s always a way to get around using kitchen equipment you don’t have! Pretty much if you have a knife, spoon, and bowl – you’re set! On to the crackers…
Place flour, parmesan, salt and black pepper into the bowl of your mixer or food processor to combine (pulse or stir). I used 2 tablespoons of fresh coarsely ground black pepper. Next time I make them I will do the same, however theses crackers are seriously black peppery – it may be a bit strong for some. I happen to love black pepper and thought the flavor was great; it’s probable that fresh ground pepper will make a stronger flavor, so if you’re not a black pepper lover cut back just a little.
Cut the unsalted butter in to ½” cubes and add it to the flour. Pulse or mix. Add sour cream and mix until combined.
Remove mixture from the bowl and turn it out on a clean work surface. Knead a few times to make sure any dry bits are incorporated.
Divide the cracker dough into 2 or 3 parts and shape each into a log. Wrap each well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to two days. I let mine sit over night.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the first log from the refrigerator and unwrap. With a sharp knife cut into thick rounds. Cut them in to 1/4″ crackers or thinner if possible. Rotate the log as you slice to help maintain the round shape. Continue on and cut through the other logs. Place cracker rounds onto the prepared baking sheets leaving about 1/4″ of space in between.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Rotate the sheet halfway between. I actually rotated everything half way between and baked them just a little longer. The thickness of the crackers as well as your oven will vary the time. My old oven fluctuates in temperature a bit – cooking time really does vary for me. After about 7 minutes I flipped each cracker in order to get an even golden tone. The cracker side faced the baking sheet browns first.
The crackers came out looking beautiful. My favorite part about their look aside form the coarse cracks of black pepper was how the parmesan somewhat melts out and browns when baked. Parmesan sparkles.
Tightly store for a couple of days at room temperature – but these crackers were best eaten fresh! We ate them with Roasted red pepper and olive cream cheese dip as well as with cottage cheese; any creamy dip would compliment the bite of these nicely.
Thank you Stresscake for sharing this delicious cracker recipe – you simply cannot find anything like it in the average grocery store! So, I guess you’ll have to make your own!
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