Lately I have been struggling between listening to my body and trying to keep pace with my running peers some twenty years plus my junior. Needless to say I spent part of the weekend beating myself up for going out too fast for a group long run (something one of my friends keeps reminding not to do). As a result I ended up running only seven of the planned eight miles. No matter what anyone said to me, I wouldn't allow myself to take much joy in running the seven miles. In my world it was a 'run falling short of the goal' or in other words, a glass half-empty run. Whether or not it is realistic to think my running pace can someday get back to the one from fifteen years ago or not, it continues to be one of my goals. No one ever said I set the bar too low for myself. But therein lies one of my conundrums. Being able to celebrate small victories along the way without getting distracted by relatively minor setbacks in order to remain focused on the larger goals of increasing both my running endurance and pace. Of all of the lessons I had learned during the first 'latent adult athlete' phase of my life was that 'running is just as much of a head game as it is a test of one's physical stamina'. While I haven't exhausted every strategy to permanently embed that mantra into my head, I can't help but wonder if there is some symbol I could get tattooed on my body to remind me of it. However, for the moment, it's probably best I keep that thought in the 'needs further consideration' category. I will keep you posted.
What needed absolutely no reflection time was making the decision to bake up a batch of these Rosemary Cheddar Crackers. The recipe (originally appearing in The Cheesemongers Kitchen cookbook) had been adapted by a contributing chef at Marcel's, one of my favorite local culinary stores. Ironically, I only just recently wondered what I was going to do with a half pound block of five year old aged sharp white cheddar cheese (it's expiration date was looming) sitting in the refrigerator. As it turned out, baking some rosemary and aleppo spiced cheddar crackers seemed to be in this cheese's destiny.
If there is one thing able to send a cheese plate/platter over the top it would be homemade crackers. And these Rosemary Cheddar Crackers elevate the simplest of cheese platters to the highest level possible. When you think of those memorable cheese plates you have had a wine bar, well now you can think of the ones you will be creating with these crackers. I have made homemade crackers before, but none of them came anywhere near to the taste of these.
One of the keys to their incredible depth of flavor is the type of cheddar cheese used. The more aged white sharp cheddar, the deeper, nuttier, peppier flavor of the cracker. Fortunately I had a 5 year aged sharp white cheddar to use in my first (but absolutely not last) attempt at making these Rosemary Cheddar Crackers. However, if you can find a high quality aged cheddar (at least 18 months old) use it (Note: The chef who shared the recipe recommended Montgomery's Farmhouse English Cheddar, an eighteen month old cheese, said it contributed to the cracker's rave reviews). So there is no need to spend time hunting down aged cheddars old enough to enter kindergarten. Unless, of course, you want to.
This dough is destined to make you feel like a dough-making goddess. Next to Amy's Shortbread Cookies, never have I worked with an easier dough. But before I talk about the dough, let me digress just a bit and talk about the herbs and spices in these crackers. If there was ever yet another reason to put fresh rosemary plants on your spring planting list, these crackers would be one of them. The cost of the small packages of herbs in the grocery store are enough to (almost) send me over the edge. But whether or not you have a garden, please, please buy a package of fresh rosemary leaves (as the taste of the crackers will send you over the edge in the best of ways) and not use dried rosemary leaves. Promise me, okay?
The original and inspiration recipes recommended using crushed red chillies. However I used crushed Aleppo pepper instead. More than likely I was still distracted from my seven mile run when I was making these crackers so I used a full teaspoon of kosher salt instead of the recommend 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I realized this apparent 'mistake' after I put the flour, chopped rosemary, crushed Aleppo pepper, and kosher salt into the food processor. Only it turned out not to be a mistake at all. Would I reduce the amount of kosher salt next time? Probably not, unless I am using a sharp white cheddar 18-24 months old.
Once the dry ingredients are quickly pulsed in the food processor, the grated cheese and cubes of butter are added and processed until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time (3-4 T total), is added until the dough comes together in a ball. In almost a blink of an eye you have your cracker dough! The dough ball is flattened into a disk, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled for at least an hour in the refrigerator (I can attest to the hour wait time as being enough). The dough easily rolls out (to about an 1/8 inch thickness) on a lightly floured surface. After cutting them into whatever shape strikes your fancy, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. If you don't have any small cookie cutters, not to worry. Use a fluted edge pastry knife or knife to cut into your shape of choice. Because these Rosemary Cheddar Crackers have such an intensely delicious cheesy-spicy flavor I wouldn't recommend making these crackers any larger than 1/2 to 5/8 inches in diameter. However, if bigger is better in your world, your baking time will need to be adjusted upward.
The dough cut-outs are baked in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven. This size of cracker baked somewhere between 15-20 minutes. Allowing them to cool on the baking sheet ensured they turned even crispier.
I don't like putting more than one baking sheet in the oven at a time so I baked them in batches (without incident). While the crackers don't spread when baking, they raise up slightly and take on a beautiful golden brown color. They are pure cracker perfection! If not serving them immediately, store in a tightly sealed container or cellophane bag tied tightly with a ribbon or string. They are supposed to last up to a week if stored properly, but if you are serving them at a cocktail party or small gathering of 8-10 people you will be lucky to have a couple of leftover crackers. Their cheesiness and spiciness make them incredibly addictive. Consider this a warning to yourself when you are making them (I think I inhaled four of them between baking batches).
So here's the thing. If you cut them into 1/2 inch sized shapes you should get a yield of about 180 crackers. And because they are small this yields about 1 1/2 cups of crackers. I know it doesn't sound like a lot of crackers (for the time and effort). But trust me when I say they are more than worth time and effort. If served as part of a cheese/fruit platter for a small gathering, you will have more than enough. Unless of course, you have a couple of friends who eat everything by the handfuls.
I feel this blog posting should come with a warning: These homemade Rosemary Cheddar Crackers will permanently spoil you. You will never want to buy store bought crackers again. Or at least any other rosemary cheddar ones.
Rosemary Cheddar Crackers (an adaption of the Red Chili and Cheddar Diamonds recipe in The Cheesemongers Kitchen cookbook and inspired by Susan Argiris blogpost on Marche, a sister store to Marcel's)
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt (could reduce to 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or crushed red chilies (Notes: If possible, crush Aleppo pepper flakes using a mortar and pestle.)
2 generous teaspoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
8 ounces aged sharp white cheddar, grated (used a 5 year aged cheddar and would recommend not using any cheddar less than 2 years old)
3-4 Tablespoons ice cold water
Directions
1. Place flour, salt, Aleppo pepper and rosemary in food processor. Pulse to combine.
2. Add butter and cheese, processing until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Add ice cold water 1 Tablespoon at a time. Pulsing until mixture comes together in a ball.
4. Flatten ball into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Lightly flour the surface used for rolling out the dough. Roll out to approximately 1/8" thickness. 7. 7. Cut dough into desired 1/2" shapes (using cookie cutters, fluted pasta cutter, knife, etc.)
8. Place pieces on parchment paper lined baking sheets, ensuring pieces of cut dough are not touching.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Allow to cool on baking sheets. (Note: Baking time may vary based on the size of crackers. Larger crackers will take longer to bake.)
10. Transfer to a bowl and serve. Or store in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
April sunrise at the Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
