Poppy Cheddar Moon Crackers Recipes

POPPY CHEDDAR MOON CRACKERS

Steps:

• In a bowl with a pastry blender or in a food processor blend or pulse together flour, cornmeal, poppy seeds, salt, and baking powder. Add butter and blend or pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add Cheddar and 4 tablespoons water and toss with a fork or pulse until water is incorporated, adding enough of remaining tablespoon water if necessary to form a soft dough.
• On a work surface smear dough in 3 or 4 forward motions with heel of hand to develop gluten in flour slightly and make dough easier to work with. Form dough into 2 balls and flatten into disks.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. and lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out half of dough with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round (about 1/16 inch thick) and with a 2 3/4-inch crescent-moon cutter cut out shapes, transferring them to lightly greased baking sheets. Gather scraps and reroll dough. Cut out more crescent shapes in same manner and transfer to baking sheets.
• Brush crescents lightly with egg wash and prick all over with a fork. Sprinkle crescents with salt and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer crackers with a metal spatula to racks and cool. Make more crackers with remaining dough in same manner. Crackers may be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

POPPY CHEDDAR MOON CRACKERS

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, cornmeal, poppy seeds, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese and 4 Tbsp cold water and mix with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated. If mixture is still dry, add enough of remaining tablespoon cold water until mixture holds together to form a soft dough.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface. With heel of your hand, smear dough 3 or 4 times in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, then divide dough in half. Press each half into a disk, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface (keep remaining disk chilled until ready to use) with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and cut out as many crescent moons as possible with cutter. Transfer to baking sheets, arranging them 1/2 inch apart. Gather scraps, then reroll and cut out.
• Lightly beat egg with warm water in a small bowl for egg wash. Lightly brush crescents with egg wash and prick all over with a fork, then sprinkle with sea salt. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through, until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely on sheets on racks. Make more crackers with remaining dough (cool baking sheets between batches).