Polenta Cheese Crackers

These beauties were found over at 101 Cookbooks. They're really tasty - great for a snack before dinner. I served them very simply with a Vasterbottens Cheesey Butter - just grate cheese (Vasterbottensost is sort of like a young Parmesan, so you could certainly substitute that, or a Pecorino, or why not a Gruyère?) and mix it with softened butter. Simple, and really delicious.

I made the crackers with spelt flour, and that was very nice. Use regular wholewheat or normal white flour if you wish.

Polenta Cheese Crackers
60-70 crackers

115 g spelt flour
150 g polenta
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
handful - about 125 ml or half a cup - grated parmesan cheese
40 g butter, diced and cold
180 ml (3/4 cup) buttermilk or filmjolk

Heat the oven to about 175°C.

Mix flour, polenta, salt, baking soda, cayenne pepper and Parmesan in a food processor. Add the butter and process again. Andd the buttermilk and blitz briefly until the dough forms a ball. Knead it by hand to make it more uniform, wrap in plastic and let it rest, at room temperature, for half an hour or so. (Or make it in advance and keep in the fridge, but let it come to room temperature before using.)

Divide the dough into quarters, and roll out one piece at a time. It should be rather thin, so be gentle. Use a cookie cutter to make the crackers, and place them on a lined baking sheet. Keep going until all the dough is used up.

Bake the crackers for 8-10 minutes - it might need longer if yours are thick, but mine were definitely done.They burn easily - so watch them. Let them cool completely, then serve or store in airtight jars. The crackers can easily be refreshed by a minute in a warm oven, if you want to make them in advance.

Recipe in Swedish:
Polentakex med ost