Cheddar Cheese Rounds

These crispy appetizers are a mix between a cracker and a short bead and seem so much like a cheesy pie crust cookie that I adore them.

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Cheddar Cheese Rounds

Source:  Cook's Country Magazine

Yield: about 5 dozen

1/4 c pecans

1 1/4 c AP flour

1 T cornstarch

2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

8 T unsalted butter (1 stick) cut in half-inch slices and softened

1/4 teas cayenne pepper

1/2 teas salt

Place the pecans, flour, and cornstarch in a work bowl of a food processor and run it until the pecans are finely ground. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and pulse until a dough forms. Pull the dough out onto a lightly floured counter or pastry cloth and roll into two logs about 8 inches long. Wrap these in plastic and place in the refrigerator until they firm up, between 1-3 hours or up to 3 days if necessary. 

Place the oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put parchment paper on two baking sheets. When the dough is chilled, slice each log into 1/4-inch rounds and place them 3/4 inch apart on the covered baking sheets. Cook until golden, approximately 15 minutes, rotating and switching the sheets so the crackers can cook evenly. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes and remove to a rack and let cool completely. Serve. (Rounds can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.)

These can be made ahead by wrapping the logs in plastic, then in foil and freezing for up to one month. These should be defrosted in the refrigerator before slicing and baking