Poppy Parmesan Cigars 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.

CIGARS WITH ALMONDS AND HONEY.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. Prepare the nut filling: place all the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. set aside while you prepare the phyllo.
• 3. unwrap the phyllo dough and place it on a flat surface. While you are working with phyllo sheet, keep the rest of the block covered with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
• 4. Use a pair of scissors to cut the sheets into 3 ½-inch-long strips.
• 5. Take a strip of phyllo dough and brush it with butter. Place another strip on top of the first and brush it with butter. Repeat until you have a four-sheet layer.
• 6. Spread one heaping tablespoon of the nut mixture onto the phyllo layer, one inch from the edge of the side nearest to you. Fold the corners over the mixture to seal, and roll it away from you to form a cigar shape. Brush the end with a small amount of egg yolk and press to seal. repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have used all the phyllo and nut filling.
• 7. coat a large baking pan with butter and lay the phyllo cigars in it lengthwise. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
• 8. While the phyllo cigars are baking, make the syrup: Put the honey and orange blossom water into a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• 9. When the phyllo cigars are done, remove the pan from the oven. Dip the cigars, one by one, into the honey syrup and place on a serving platter.