Parmesan-rosemary and Gruyere-thyme crackers

When guests threaten to descend on short notice at Christmas time, it's good to be able to reach for the moons and stars, even while shouting to the heavens. At least it is if you've got these little bits of goodness tucked in your freezer, ready to thaw quickly and bake.

These are from the domestic goddess who paved the way for all future domestic minor dieties, and made homekeeping both vaguely cool and profitable. Martha Stewart's icebox slice-and-bake crackers are a foolproof hit. I always keep a few logs of these in the freezer, ready to bake off as needed for guests or for an extra bag to tuck in a gift basket.

While they're a wower if prepared as originally called for, with a sprig of fresh herbs topping each one, flavorwise they're fine without that extra touch, so if you're pressed for time, don't bother. (Although they look very impressive with it.)

At some point I hit upon the idea of rolling them out flat and cutting them into shapes. I then freeze the pre-cut crackers between layers of waxed paper in a freezer storage box. Since they're pre-cut, they thaw quickly, and I can bake them about an hour after removing them from the freezer and thawing them at room temperature. With their cute little shapes, they look special and they're just the right size to pop in the mouth. I happen to have a multi-pack of different shapes of small cookie cutters, because of course I would, but you could just cut them into diamonds and they'd still be fancy. Make lots; they go fast.

Parmesan-rosemary icebox crackers

From “Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook”

Ingredients

¾ cup flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of white pepper

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus lots of sprigs for garnish if desired

3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

5 tablespoons sour cream

1 egg white, beaten, if garnishing with herbs

Method

Pulse flour, salt, pepper and rosemary in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until it forms a coarse meal. Add cheese and pulse to combine. Add sour cream a tablespoon at a time, whirring in between each addition until it’s all added and the dough has come together.

For slice-and-bake: Slice logs into ¼-inch thick slices. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. If desired, dip a small sprig of rosemary into egg white and then place in center of cracker, pushing in ever so slightly. Repeat with remaining crackers. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes, turning the pan once if your oven is uneven. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Bake until golden brown and firm in the center. Transfer to a rack to cool.

For cut-out crackers: Cut into desired shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes in a preheated 325-degree oven. Your cooking time will vary based on the size of the crackers. Remove when golden brown and set in the centers. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Gruyere-thyme icebox crackers

From “Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook”

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (plus oodles of sprigs for garnish if desired)

3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

1 beaten egg white if garnishing with herbs

Method

Combine flour, salt, pepper and thyme in food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add cheese and pulse to combine. With machine running, add milk. Process until dough comes together.

If forming into slice-and-bake crackers: Shape dough into a 2-inch wide log. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill at least a day. If you opt for cut-out crackers, roll dough out to about 3/8-inch thickness between two pieces of plastic wrap. Chill at least a day.

For slice-and-bake: Slice logs into ¼-inch thick slices. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. If desired, dip a small sprig of thyme into egg white and then place in center of cracker, pushing in ever so slightly. Repeat with remaining crackers. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes, turning the pan once if your oven is uneven. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Bake until golden brown and firm in the center. Transfer to a rack to cool.

For cut-out crackers: Cut into desired shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes in a preheated 325-degree oven. Your cooking time will vary based on the size of the crackers. Remove when golden brown and set in the centers. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Note: This book also contains two other variations, one for cheddar-cornmeal crackers and one for blue cheese-pecan icebox crackers. Over the years, I've found these are less popular, partly because the cheddar variety contains cayenne pepper, which surprises people in a bad way, and the blue cheese variety has a somewhat unappetizing color when baked compared with their golden brown cousins.