THE SIMPLE THINGS

Tonight we were going to start the weekend with a glass of champagne and some homemade Parmesan crackers.  Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.  First of all, I got caught up in all of the beautiful cheeses at Whole Foods and ended up grabbing Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan.  Ah well, at least they were similar.  Right as the crackers were about to come out of the oven Johnny got called into work.  Friday night trauma surgeries only mean one thing to me...I won't see Johnny until the sun comes up tomorrow.  I am still going to enjoy a glass of Champagne and my Parmesan, I mean Pecorino, crackers. 

Parmesan (or not) & Thyme Crackers

Ingredients:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces grated Parmesan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute.

With the mixer on low speed, add the Parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper and combine.

With mixer still on low, add the flour and combine until the mixture is in large crumbles, about 1 minute.

Dump the dough on a lightly floured board and roll into a 9-inch long log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the log crosswise into 3/8-inch thick slices with a small, sharp knife and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 22 minutes until lightly browned.  Rotate the pan once during baking. 

Cool and serve at room temerature.

Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

They were delicious, but would have been better with my hubby at home!  Next time, I think I will add some fresh rosemary to the mix and cut them a little bit thinner than Ina suggests.