GOBBLE GOBBLE

With family arriving this weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday we wanted to prepare little snacks they could gobble on all week. Joe is preparing his delicious Macaroni and cheese (10/20/08 blog), I'll make Ina Garten's Green Herb dip (2/25/08 blog) and our latest craving from her newest book, Back to Basics: Parmesan & Thyme crackers. They're easy to make and simply delicious (and they'll keep for several days)!

Take the Thyme: (To print this individual recipe simply click on the title GOBBLE GOBBE above and print then "home" on the bottom to return to all blogs..this will prevent you from printing all 195 blog entries!!)

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

4 Ounces freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, add the Parmesan, Thyme, salt and pepper and combine. With the mixer still on low, add the flour and combine until the mixture is in large crumbles, about 1 minute. If the dough is too dry, add 1 teaspoon water.

Dump the dough onto a flour board, press into a ball, and roll into a 9-inch log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 (unless, of course you're letting the ball sit for 4 days). Cut the log into 3/8 inch thick rounds with a small, sharp knife and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 22 minutes, until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature.

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK:

COST:Ingredients: $10.00 (recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics book $24.99)

STRESS LEVEL: Not cracking under the pressure: LOW