Cheesy Feet!

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Wheee! Pongy! Feet that smell like cheese!
Now, who hasn't seen this recipe in Nigella's Feast and not got the giggles? And tucked it away as something you've just got to try in the future. I've wanted to for a while, and when I saw a foot-shaped cutter in my bread baking store I had that thing at the counter before you could blink.
The problem is, you've really got to pick your audience. Who's going to appreciate cheese biscuits in the shape of feet? Even Nigella says she would back off from serving them to grown-ups, as that "mixture between yukky and cute might not play so well there. I wouldn't want to embarrass myself, you do see."
Evidently I don't have the same reticence. Heh. I had to bring a plate to a concert of songs from musical theatre, so I thought the crowd would be "worldy" enough to have a laugh. And it really worked; they were a great talking point, and many people came back with a friend to show them. They were also one of the only savoury offerings on the table, which helped them to disappear.
The only thing was that I was expecting more of a cheesy shortbread texture, but mine puffed up in the oven and turned kinda chewy. Possibly I overworked the mixture and/or left them in the oven a few minutes too long. Fan-forced ovens should be turned down about 10 degrees celcius too, which I didn't do. Guess I'll just have to make them again and find out! :-)
Read on for the recipe:

Cheesy Feet
From "Feast"

100g Cheddar cheese, grated
25g soft butter
50g plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

-Preheat oven to 200C (lower if fan-forced)
-Dump all ingredients into a food processor and mix until the dough comes together. It may take a while. Form into a fat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
-Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out dough to ~3mm thickness. Cut out feet. The dough can be re-rolled until it is all used up.
-Place on a lined baking sheet and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
-Biscuits will continue to crisp up as they cool, so take them out of the oven when still a little soft in the middle.
-Makes about 16ish.
Tagged with cheese