Circus, Circus

So today I roped into taking Chloe to the circus. Generally I would avoid such an activity like Satan himself were waiting there for me. Really-I'm at the point where if I had the choice between gnawing my own arm off, or going to this show...I'd be one no-armed redhead!


Oh well...here is a recipe I found recently for "animal crackers" to celebrate the 'cheesy' circus being in town!

Enjoy...

Cheesy Animal Crackers

• 1 (3-oz) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1/2 cup)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg (from 1 large)

• Special equipment: 1- to 2-inch animal-shaped cookie cutters

Pulse cheese in a food processor until finely ground, then transfer to a bowl. Whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Form a well in center of flour mixture and add milk and egg, then stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.

Gently knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 2 minutes. Chill dough in a sealed plastic bag, 1 hour.

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.

Divide dough in half and roll out into 2 (12-inch) rounds (less than 1/16 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut out as many crackers as possible from dough with cutters and transfer to 2 large baking sheets, arranging crackers about 1/4 inch apart. Discard remaining dough. (Do not re-roll scraps; crackers would be tough.)

Bake crackers, switching position of sheets and rotating them 180 degrees halfway through baking, until undersides are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. (Crackers positioned near edges of pan may need to be removed first.) Cool crackers completely on sheets on a rack, about 15 minutes.