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Recipe Detail Page
Lacy Cheddar Crisps
Autumn 2019
It’s quite amazing that a garnish with just one ingredient can add such drama to a slice of pie. Use an extra-old, one- or two-year-old cheddar for the best texture and taste. Less-aged cheese can be oily and doesn’t crisp up quite enough. Keep the cheese in the fridge until you’re ready to grate and bake it so it doesn’t soften.
Makes 8 crisps
2 oz (55 g) extra-old or older cheddar cheese, cold
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 Shred cheese on the fine shredding (not grating) side of a box cheese grater. You should have about 2/3 cup (150 mL) unpacked.
3 Gently sprinkle onto prepared baking sheet in a 9-inch (23-cm) square, ensuring it is even with no large clumps of cheese and no large spaces between the cheese.
4 Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, watching carefully, until evenly golden and starting to firm up. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 seconds.
5 Immediately use a large sharp knife and a firm downwards pressure to cut the square in half, then cut each half into 4 triangles. Do not attempt to move the cheese. Let cool completely on baking sheet on a wire rack. Once cool and crisp, gently cut again, if necessary, to separate the triangles. (The crisps can be stored in a cookie tin at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
6 Perch a crisp on each slice of pie, or arrange decoratively on whole pie.
Makes 8 crisps
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