A lovely little cheddar nugget of crunch

Here is a savory little item to keep in the fridge during the holiday season to whip out at the last minute and wow the guests with, or to give as a present or house gift. My friend Marcy Congdon made these for an open house she had and I asked for the recipe, thank goodness. I could not have been more surprised at the ingredients of these little homemade crackers. The secret is the crispy rice cereal which turns into a lovely little nugget of crunch.

I like to mix these up and make variously shaped logs of them, wrapped in waxed paper or plastic, and stored in a plastic bag in the fridge or even freezer until I need them. You can make the dough into a round log, or flatten all four sides for a square, make rectangles with a flatter lengthwise shape, or even triangles by turning the log into a three-sided one. To bake them, you just slice them off and put them on a baking sheet for only 15 minutes! (The edges do soften as they bake, so the shapes will have slightly rounded corners.) You can of course, just roll small balls between your palms, and flatten them with a fork on the baking sheet but then people think they are cookies.

Since you get to choose the cheddar you use, you can make this recipe with a very sharp one, or if you prefer, a mellow one. There are now all sorts of flavored cheeses that would work, including jalapeno, garlic and dill. You can adjust the amount of mustard, add other spices like garlic, mustard, or coarse black pepper, or poppy, sesame, or toasted cumin seeds. You could even sprinkle the tops with a coarse salt and press it gently into the surface.

You can bake them only an hour ahead of serving them. If you bake them days before you need them, store them in a tin or plastic container with a tight fitting lid. They do not require refrigeration after baking.

Cheddar Crisps

1 pound softened butter

1 pound grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 cups of all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon cayenne or other spice (optional)

4 cups crispy rice cereal

In a mixer bowl, with a dough hook, beat together the softened butter and the grated cheddar. Toss flour, salt, and spice together in a bowl or put into a sifter, and add to the butter and cheese mixture, continuing to beat. Fold in the crispy rice cereal last and mix until it is blended all through the very stiff dough. Divide the dough and form logs no more than 2 inches in diameter. Wrap and chill. To bake, cut off slices no more than 1/4 inch thick and arrange on a very lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Store in a tightly sealed container or serve immediately. Yield is dozens and dozens, depending on how large you make them.

Looking for …

Jean Swain in Garland wrote to see if anyone knew how to make cinnamon twists or cinnamon sticks, a pastry that Jean and her husband found in a bakery in Manomet, Mass. She describes them: “They are about 6 to 7 inches long and just about the size of a very fat hot dog. The crust (dough) is very flaky but not at all dry. It is rolled and twisted with cinnamon in between the layers. The top is coated with big sugar granules that have just about melted and the whole thing tends to crumble when eaten.” She has tried to replicate them but everything she has tried so far ends up like pie dough. She even tried phyllo dough but that wasn’t it either. It sounds to me a little like a kind of puff pastry but maybe less rich. What do you think? A recipe anyone?

Send queries or answers to Sandy Oliver, 1061 Main Road, Islesboro 04848. E-mail: tastebuds@prexar.com. For recipes, tell us where they came from. List ingredients, specify number of servings and do not abbreviate measurements. Include name, address and daytime phone number.