Parmesan Crackers with Smoked Hungarian Paprika
Super Bowl XLVIII is just around the corner, and we at Pantry No. 7 are busy as beavers, dreaming up super bowl snacks worthy of satisfying the munchies of your neighborhood pusher (we’re looking at you, Huffpo!). In the spirit of staying gourmet (duh) AND legal, we are thinking fresh Parmesan, cold butter, heavy cream, and smoky Hungarian paprika.
Whether you are team Heidi or Spencer, or Seahawk vs. Bronco, you will love the salty little morsels of delight this recipe makes. For our Seattle foodists, try serving with fresh caviar and a chilled champagne cocktail. For our Denver gourmands, perhaps try some rocky mountain oysters and your favorite local brew.
Next time you’re craving a savory, cheese, buttery, flaky snack, this will be everything you wanted and more. Who needs boring greasy potato chips when you can have Parmesan Crackers with Smoked Hungarian Paprika? Though there will only be one victor rising from Super Bowl XLVIII, everyone wins with this tasty Super Bowl treat!
Ingredients
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
1/2 tsp of smoked Hungarian paprika plus more for dusting
1/2 tsp of fresh thyme
2 oz of cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup of heavy cream plus more if dough is not coming together
2 large pieces of parchment paper
Directions
In a food processor, pulse all the dry ingredients together. If making by hand, simply mix the ingredients together with a whisk or fork.
Add the cold butter to the dry mix, and pulse until sandy, or combine butter with dry ingredients using a fork or pastry cutter.
Add the cream all at once and pulse or stir until dough comes together. Use a little more cream if necessary. The dough should not be a smooth consistency, as you just need to bring the dry ingredients together. See picture above for the consistency of the dough.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place dough in the middle of a large piece of parchment paper, pressing any loose bits together. Put the second piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll out until very thin. The thickness of the cracker depends on your preference.
Place the dough in fridge for about 15 minutes. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and cut crackers to the desired size and shape. I use a knife, but you can use a pastry cutter or a pizza cutter. Roll the cut pieces again for an even thinner cracker.
Place in fridge again for 10 minutes before baking. If you don’t need to roll your dough out a second time for thinner crackers, simply place the entire sheet of cut crackers into the oven to bake, you do not need to separate the pieces. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your crackers.
Written and photographed by Tracy Chow & Jennifer Yu
