Crispy Italian Parmesan Crackers

An easy to make crispy cracker full of pesto, thyme, oregano, basil and parmesan cheese. Great on their own or with soup.

Prepare: 20

Bake: 15

Chill Time: 30

Total Time: 1 5

Servings: 4 dozen

Ingredients

2 ½ cups (375g) flour
½ cup (113g) butter
½ cup (85g) grated Parmesan cheese
2 large (100g) eggs
¼ cup (60mL) water
3 tbs (45g) tomato pesto
1 tsp (5g) salt
1 tsp (3g) Italian seasoning blend

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 (180C.)
Mix together flour, salt and spices.
Mix in butter until it resembles bread crumbs.
Beat in eggs and water until it forms a stiff dough.
Knead in pesto and cheese. Form into a round disk, cover and let rest 20 minutes.
Flour a clean work surface and roll out to 1/16 - 1/8" (1-3mm) thick. The thinner you make them, the crispier they will be.
Place rolled out dough onto baking tray with parchment or wax paper between each layer and chill 1/2 hour up to 2 days in the fridge.
Once chilled, cut out with a 2" (5 cm) round cutter. If desired, you can brush the top of the crackers with an egg wash. This will give a more golden color but isn't necessary.
Place on a non-stick tray, dust with flour or line with parchment. Place crackers 1/2" (1.25cm) apart.
Bake 10 - 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and crackers snap when cooled.

Notes

The cooking time may need adjusting due to the size and thickness of the cracker. If they are not to your liking, you can place them back in the oven 5 minutes at a time. They can be placed back in the oven even after completely cooled.

If you want the crackers to be more golden, beat one egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush the top of each cracker with the egg wash right before baking.

You can make this in a food processor or stand mixer. Just follow the directions and only mix until a dough forms. They can be rolled out with a pasta roller for uniform thin crackers.

The type of spices and cheese can be altered to suit your taste. For instance, try asiago cheese and black pepper instead of the parmesan and Italian seasoning blend. Replace the tomato pesto with pine nut pesto or leave it out entirely.

Nutrition