(((Maria))) On the receiving end not long ago a variety of bagels and spreads were so well received
Folks could cut bagels in halves or quarters, if desired, and the variety of spreads were the perfect thing. If you have a Noah's Bagels near you (pretty sure you do) they have a really nice variety of both delicious bagels and spreads -- creamy, savory and sweet (their gift baskets are great too!). Or pick up a few Trader Joes spreads, like their original hummus (which also goes well with their crunchy and delicious sea salt pita chips), and the layered pesto dip to spread on bagels. Or make a quick tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad to spread on the bagels. CathyZ's caponata would also be a nutritious and delicious spread for the bagels.
If you're feeling up to doing some cooking yourself you might consider a quick pot of chili or soup that folks can heat up quickly in a cup or bowl any time of day. Or something fairly quick like puff pastry cheese straws or these cheese coins.
Cheddar Cheese Crackers
3/4 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2-1/3 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped medium fine
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cheese and butter and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix in the walnuts on low speed. The dough should be fairly stiff, with small chunks of cheese and walnut visible. You can do these same steps with a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, mixing the ingredients in the same order.
Transfer the dough to parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap well and freeze until hard, about 2 hours. Or, gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.
Unwrap the log and cut crosswise into slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. If you have shaped the dough into a disk, unwrap, place on a floured work surface, and roll out into a square or rectangle 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-inch squares, 1-by-2-inch rectangles, or whatever shape you like. Arrange the crackers on the prepared pan, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Bake the crackers until golden brown on the edges and lighter in the center, 7-10 minutes, depending on size and thickness. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. The crackers will keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.
Blue Cheese variation: Make dough as directed, substituting 2 cups (8 oz) crumbled blue cheese for the cheddar and 1 teaspoon crumbled dried or minced fresh sage for the cayenne pepper.
Yield: about 50 1-inch round crackers
Source: Tartine by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson
Book notes: Be careful with cheese substitutions. A cheese with a high butterfat content, such as Brie or Camembert, will not work. Neither will very hard cheeses, such as aged pecorino, although you may add a few tablespoons of a hard aged cheese for flavor.
Pat’s notes: These are thin and coin-sized and have a really nice flavor, not bland at all like I find many homemade crackers to be. The chef who brought them to the party said she used Cabot sharp cheese.
Cheddar Parmesan Crackers
4 ounces cheddar cheese -- coursely grated
2 ounces parmesan cheese -- finely grated
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter -- softened and cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons water -- plus more if needed
Place cheeses, flour, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper in the bowl of the food processor, pulse 5 times. Add the butter, pulse again until the butter pieces are the size of BBs. Add the water 1 tbsp at a time and pulse just until the dough holds together. If the dough is still crumbly, add more water 1 tsp at a time until it reaches the right consistency. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of waxed paper. Roll the dough into a log 9 - 10 inches long and square off the ends. Refrigerate, well wrapped for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days or freeze it for up to 1 month ( you may want to cut in half or thirds to freeze if you think you will want to defrost a smaller amount at a time)
Preheat the oven to 375 f
Cut logs into 1/4 inch slices. Arrange slices on a baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until the crackers are a light golden color turn the crackers and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes or until they are golden around the edges. Cool on a rack and serve at room temperature.
Source:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cheddar-parmesan-crackers-recipe.html
Pat’s note: These were yummy.
