Wendesday Recipe Swap

I'm so excited for today because it's the first day of "Wednesday Weekly Recipe Swap," which Tifanie from noddyboom invited people to join in on. I like the idea of having certain days for certain things and I really like the idea of having a specific day to focus on sharing recipes. Thanks Tifanie! As promised last week, I will reveal the mysterious Parmesan-smelling dough! It was Parmesan Thyme Crackers. They were so fragrant while baking and so scrumptious when done. I took them to a going away party at my work and they were eaten instantly. As I noted below, I added extra ground black pepper because I thought the fragrance melded so well. They would be great with white wine or smoked salmon.


Parmesean Thyme Crackers
a la Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics

1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (leftover from my CSA)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I used more because it added such a great aroma)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter for 1 minute. With the mixture of low speed, add the Parmesan, thyme, salt, and pepper and combine. With the mier still on low, add the flour and combine until the mixture is in large crumbles, about 1 minute. If the dough is too dry, add 1 teaspoon water.

Dump the dough onto a floured board, press into a ball, and roll into a 9-inch log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the log into 3/8-inch-thick rounds with a small, sharp knife and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 22 miutes, until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature.


Also, while we're on the subject of food, my coworker outdid herself with this:

Cakes made to look like a drum set! The frosted cakes were Kentucky Spice Cake, the cake that is facing out was a Grand-Marnier Pound Cake and I actually don't know what the symbols were. (They were eaten while I was on a break).

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to next week's recipe swap!
As Tifanie said, 'have a tasty and beautiful day!'