If you’re already feeling beginning-of-semester blues, these spicy cheese pence should awaken your taste buds. They pair nicely with beer; a change from nuts and chips. Instead of cheese and crackers with your wine, these cheese crackers make a hot appetizer. The following recipe is inspired by “The Baker’s Bible,” edited by Deborah Gray, published by Chartwell Books, Inc., 2002, page 99.
Cheese pence is an easy snacking alternative to the standard cheese and crackers. NAT FORT/Staff
What you’ll need:
- ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup of finely grated Pepper Jack cheese
- 1 egg
- 3 tsp of fresh chives, minced
- 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Pinch of salt
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Electric Mixer
- Two cookie sheets
- Plastic wrap
Instructions:
1. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and egg in a medium bowl.
2. Add chives, cheese, Tabasco sauce and salt. Beat until the consistency is creamy.
3. If a lot of the pepper in the cheese was lost during grating, add some crushed red pepper to the mixture.
4. Gradually mix in flour to make a soft, sticky dough.
5. Spread plastic wrap on a countertop and place dough on the wrap.
6. Roll the dough into an inch or inch-and-a-half sized log.
7. Wrap the dough tightly and chill in refrigerator for at least two hours.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Lightly grease two cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
10. Cut the log into nickel-thick slices and place a half-inch to inch apart on cookie sheets.
11. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden and puffed.
12. Makes about two dozen pence.
13. Mild to sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese can substitute for Pepper Jack cheese. Ensure that the cheese has a strong flavor to create a tasty cracker.