(adapted from the blog Lemons & Anchovies)
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¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (grated with a Microplane)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 + ¼ cups all-purpose flour
zest of 1 lemon
Pinch kosher salt
A pinch or two of freshly ground black pepper
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Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for about one minute. With the mixer on low-speed, add the cheese, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and fennel seeds just until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the mixer still in low-speed add the flour, and turn off the mixer once the mixture is in large crumbles, about one minute.
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Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, press into a ball then roll it into a 9-inch log. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before slicing and baking.
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When ready to bake, heat your oven to 350℉. Slice the dough into roughly 3/8-thick rounds and lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can sprinkle more fennel seeds on top of the rounds if you wish.
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Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through the cooking time, until very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature. They keep well in an airtight container for a few days.Makes about 24 rounds.
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ENJOY!
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Comments: At first I had some trouble shaping the log of dough, and had to add a little more flour, but finally it all came together smoothly. These crackers have a shortbread feel, they crumble as you bite into them, and their flavor gets more and more pronounced as you chew them. The lemon zest definitely adds a lot, even though fennel and cheese are strong components in the overall taste. The basic recipe could be taken in many different directions with different cheeses and spices… I think that an experiment with a little bit of dried lavender could be quite interesting, but it might be tricky to pick the right cheese to go with it.
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THREE YEARS AGO: A Message from WordPress
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I’m a savoury cracker addict and have never made my own crackers. Obviously something I have to work on this year. I’m not familiar with the taste of fennel though so I’d have to think about a good substitute but your lovely crackers are an inspiration.
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Do you like cumin? Maybe that could be nice too – I love fennel and tend to search for every chance to use it, but you could also go for herbs like thyme or oregano
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I enjoy making crackers SO much, especially shortbread type. These are amazing Sally! Simple ingredients, and an excuse to use my fennel seeds! The jar is always at the same level..
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Paula, my next blog post will also involve fennel seeds, so you might find another opportunity to open that jar… 😉
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Lemon, fennel and cheese? I’m more than in love with these.
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All flavors that I love too…
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I love this flavor combo. I don’t make crackers nearly enough, which is a shame since any halfway decent ones are insanely expensive.
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It is so true, I don’t make crackers often enough either – my favorite is Ak Mak, which is not that expensive here…
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Although I am not a fan of fennel, these cheddar crackers look terrific, Sally! They make any tea/coffee time a happy one…
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They were very tasty… and you can definitely adapt to your taste, if fennel is not something you like…. Phil was not too fond of fennel, but I think I slowly converted him 😉
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What amount of lemon zest?? Thanks
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Hello, Barb! I just noticed that the original recipe did not call for lemon zest, it was my adaptation, so I modified the recipe… great that you mentioned that. I just fixed the PDF printable version too…
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A wonderful flavor combination. I bet those crackers are addictive.
Happy New Year and best wishes for 2014!
Cheers,
Rosa
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They are delicious! Hope your 2014 is starting in great spirits (I know it is… 🙂
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Happy New Year Sally! The ingredients sound absolutely delicious in these little bites! (love the addition of lemon to the cheddar/fennel combo). They are quite thick and hardy aren’t they – yum. Do they retain a crispy cracker texture or are they more like a biscuit? Very fun and make ahead definitely works for me…I seek it out whenever I can ;-).
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They are more like crackers than biscuits – and they were still good several days later, by the way. Did not turn mushy at all – I think we enjoyed them for almost a full week after that party…
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Happy New Year! I’m hoping over from Food Writer’s Friday, a pleasure to discover your blog 🙂
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Thank you, Gourmantine! I had not seen that article until you pointed it out to me, it made my day, week, month, year! I am in heaven! Thanks for stopping by, nice to “meet” you!
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Oh my – fennel and cheddar cheese together! Two of my favorite flavors in one cracker. Love it!!! First time here and I’m loving what I see! Nice blog Sally!
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Well, let me say a big “WELCOME to the Bewitching Kitchen!”
nice to have you here, I hope you find recipes you love to try
Fennel is a wonderful flavor, which my beloved husband did not love as much as I do, but he is quickly warming up to it… (does he really have a choice? 😉 🙂
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these look perfectly crispy and tenderly chewy. yum i wish I had a handful of them right now
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Little cheese biscuits were one of the first appetizers I ever tried. I love the look of yours, mine were more “flattish”, I love these thick looking ones and the ingredients/flavors would be addicting!
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I LOVE fennel in all its forms, can’t wait to try these.
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I bet this could work in the food processor, too. When I try these for a party next week I’ll report back.
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Please do so! Would love to know if it works… I bet it will…
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Worked beautifully in the food processor. I followed the steps as written up to the last bit. As usual for food processor cracker dough, it came together as dough and rode the blade around the container. Never really went through a “crumbles” stage. People loved them, of course.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to give me feedback! I intend to re-visit this recipe and will use your method!
glad your guests loved them…. Have a great weekend!
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