Pecorino Crackers Recipes

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the penne according to package directions in lightly salted water. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
• Increase the heat under the skillet to medium-high and stir the cooked penne and reserved pasta water into the skillet. Let the sauce simmer and reduce until it thickens, for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated cheese until partially melted.
• Top with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350.
• Combine cheese, salt, pepper and butter in a bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until well combined.
• Add flour and beat until just combined.
• Turn dough out on to a sheet of plastic wrap, roll into a log shape and wrap well.
• Place into the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
• Remover from freezer and unwrap. Slice dough about 1/8 inch thick. About the width of an average cracker.
• Bake on a silpat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes or just getting golden on the edges.
• Let cool on sheet after removing from oven for a few minutes then carefully remove with a spatula to serve or store.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, gently toss together the cheeses.
• Arrange heaping tablespoon-size mounds of the cheese mixture on the baking sheets, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart. Using your fingers, gently pat down each mound to flatten. (It's O.K. if there are holes - the cheese will melt into a web.) Grind pepper over each round.
• Bake until golden and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets until crisp, then transfer to a serving plate using an offset spatula.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter.
• Using a hand mixer, beat the cheese mixture and butter until combined. Add the flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing only until incorporated and the mixture holds together.
• Place tablespoon-sized balls of the dough on 1 or 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets, tapping the dough down gently with your fingertips. Bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes.
• Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving plate.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Halve and peel the pears, and carefully remove the seeds and core.
• Melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Arrange the pears, cut side down, in the skillet so they just touch one another. Sprinkle the sugar, over the pears and butter. Cook, tilting the pan back and forth gently from time to time, until the sugar dissolves and melts into a golden caramel, about 4 minutes. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan, and add the pod. Reduce the heat, add the brandy, and cook a few minutes more. Be aware that the brandy may ignite, but the flames will die down quickly.
• Carefully turn the pears over, and transfer to the oven. They should be deep golden brown. Roast until the pears are fork tender, about 10 minutes, depending on the ripeness and size of the pears. Serve with thick slices of pecorino and caramel sauce.

Steps:

• Add the flour, both cheeses, salt and cayenne to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until combined.
• Scatter the cold butter chunks on top, and pulse again to form coarse crumbs.
• Add egg yolk, pecans and seeds, and pulse to combine thoroughly, yielding a coarse grainy meal.
• Transfer mixture to a large stainless-steel bowl. Sprinkle the ice water on top, and knead briefly to bring the dough together, as you would a pie dough.
• Divide the dough into thirds, and roll each into a neat, 8-inch-long cylinder that is about the width of a silver dollar. Wrap each log in plastic wrap, and twist the ends tightly in opposite directions, forming a perfect and compact torchon. Refrigerate until well chilled and completely firm; overnight is ideal.
• Heat the oven to 375. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Unwrap the dough, discarding plastic wrap, and slice the logs into thin coins, each about the width of a pencil.
• Arrange the coins in neat rows on the prepared sheets, making sure they're not quite touching one another. This dough won't expand or flatten after baking.
• Bake until golden at their centers and just starting to toast at their edges, about 20 minutes. Check them midway through baking, and rotate sheets if your oven bakes unevenly.
• Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool. Once they are fully cooled, transfer coins to an airtight container, where they will keep for up to 3 weeks.