FARGO — I enjoy making a variety of Christmas cookies and sweets throughout the holiday season, and I like to include savory treats, too, like Bacon and Blue Cheese Scones , Creole Cheddar Cocktail Cookies and these delightful Christmas Tree Crackers. Paper thin, super crisp and rich with buttery flavor, these crackers will add a touch of whimsical charm to your holiday party platters.
A food processor is the ideal gadget to use for this recipe because it can process the ingredients into dough in just a few minutes, but a pastry blender or even a fork will also work. I love the versatility of this recipe, which can be adjusted to suit your taste and the seasons. These crackers get their great flavor from butter, as well as a blend of Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and dried herbs, including thyme, parsley and rosemary.
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To prepare the dough, simply place the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they are well combined. Cold butter is added next, and the mixture is pulsed a few times until it resembles coarse crumbs. Cold water is the final addition, and once it is added I pulse the dough again several times until the crumbs are fine and the dough holds together when pinched. Having cold butter and water keeps the butter firm as it is blended so that the dough is filled with bits of butter, which will create tiny pockets of air as the crackers bake, making them wonderfully crisp and light.
Once the dough is prepared, I turn it out onto a clean surface and shape it into a ball. I like to use a large, rimmed baking sheet because the dough is somewhat crumbly at this stage, and it helps to contain the dough as I shape it. The dough is then divided into quarters which I shape into small balls and flatten into disks. The dough will be somewhat crumbly at first but will become smooth and pliable as you roll. I roll each disk between two pieces of parchment paper until it is paper thin, and I find that dividing the dough into smaller batches makes this much easier to achieve.
I place the dough sheets on a baking sheet to chill in the fridge to firm up for at least an hour before cutting them into shapes. You can use cookie cutters for a seasonal flair, or just a sharp knife to cut them into squares or rectangles. I always sprinkle each cracker with flaky sea salt before baking, and sometimes I will also add a dusting of smoked paprika for added color and flavor.
You can bake two batches at once, positioning the racks in the top and lower third of the oven and rotating them from top to bottom halfway through. The crackers take about 20 to 25 minutes to bake and should be lightly golden brown around the edges when they are done. You can serve them with soft cheeses or dips, but I enjoy them just as they are.
So, turn on the holiday tunes, don your apron and get ready to jazz up your holiday platters with these deliciously savory Christmas Tree Crackers.
Savory Christmas Tree Crackers
Cracker Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons (half-stick) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into half-inch cubes
1/3 + 1 teaspoon very cold water
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For the topping:
Flaky salt (kosher or sea salt also work)
Smoked paprika (optional)
Directions:
Place all the cracker ingredients, except the butter and water, in a food processor and pulse 10 ten times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 6 to 8 times. Add the water and pulse again until the dough appears crumbly and sticks together when pinched, about 12 to 15 times. Add more water as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time.
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface or baking sheet and shape it into a ball. Divide the ball into four equal parts; shape each quarter into a ball and flatten into a disk.
To roll out, place each disk between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll until very thin – no more than 1/16 of an inch. The dough may seem crumbly at first, but as you roll it will become smooth and pliable. Place the sheets of dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm before cutting into shapes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position the racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Remove one sheet of dough from the refrigerator. Gently remove the top piece of parchment from the dough and then loosen the bottom sheet while keeping the dough on it – this will keep the cut-outs from sticking to the paper as you cut.
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Use a cookie cutter (2 ½ to 3 ½ inches in size) to cut the dough into shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch between each cracker. Collect the dough scraps and place them in a plastic baggie or plastic wrap to keep them drying out as you roll out the rest of the dough sheets.
Use a fork to prick holes into each cracker, about 5 times from top to bottom. Sprinkle each cracker with flaky salt and paprika (if using).
Bake 2 sheets at a time, rotating from top to bottom after 12 minutes, until the crackers are crispy and lightly golden around the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the crackers cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. To keep the crackers crisp, store them in a metal tin at room temperature for several days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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