Hazelnut Thyme Matchsticks

Hazelnut Thyme Matchsticks

This recipe is from the book, "Chocolate and Zucchini" by Clotilde Dudoulier. I follow her blog but have not viewed her cookbooks until this visit with our daughter. Clotilde has some great ideas with tasty recipes. This may be my next purchase. In the meantime I want to blog a couple of recipes from her book.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup hazelnuts very finely chopped,

   with shells on for a prettier effect

2 teaspoons dried thyme or 4 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

1 large yolk for glazing

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Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, rub the butter and flour together until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add the cheese, hazelnuts, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend well. Add the egg and blend it in with a fork. Once the egg is absorbed, knead the dough lightly until it comes together and forms a ball. It should be smooth enough to be rolled out: if it is too dry add water, teaspoon by teaspoon until it reaches the desired consistency.

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Divide the dough into two ball and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or up to one day. If you refrigerate for more than 2 hours, remove from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes prior to working with it or it will be too hard to work with.

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Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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Remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out thinly on a well floured surface to form a rectangle approximately 6" x 8" and 1/6" thick. Beat the egg yolk with one tablespoon fresh water in a small bowl. Brush this mixture lightly over the surface of the rectangle of dough and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

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Turn the dough so the longest side of the rectangle faces you. Use a sharp knife to divide it into vertical strips 1/4 inch wide. Cut the rectangle in half horizontally so each strip is 3" long. Transfer the strips to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1/2" space between strips. Repeat with 2nd ball of dough.

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Bake 13 to 16 minutes, until golden. Transfer too a rack to cool completely. They will keep for a week in an airtight container at room temp.

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For a faster preparation, shape the dough into two logs, about 1 inch in diameter. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes, and slice thinly to form round crackers. Yield: About 80 crackers.