.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
Inspired by Nigella's cheesy feet pictures, I spent quite a while looking for suitably shaped feet cutters, but managed to trace them down. My favourite cookie cutters ever! I use a slightly different recipe, and have been unashamedly serving them to kids and grown-ups alike!
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to make them, too!
ReplyDeleteI think I've telling myself I didn't need to buy yet another cookie cutter, though...
You cheesey feet are adorable!
Yumm, they look good to me! So glad your computer is working!
ReplyDelete~Dianka
http://na-zdravi.blogspot.com/
I've made Nigella's Cheesy Feet twice now and the last time I added parmesan and shortened by cooking time by about 4mins I think it was (I have a fan forced oven too). I used a star cookie cutter though ;-)
ReplyDeleteI bought a hand shaped cutter for my daughter's second birthday last year - she was having a hi-5 cake so I thought some hand shaped biscuits would go well. I love the idea of cheese flavoured biscuit - the best one I ever tried was a buttery, cheesy shortbread style one which melted in my mouth - wish I could find a recipe for that - it as from an very good bakery in Brisbane and went well with Antipasto.
ReplyDeleteI've loved these since the first time I laid eyes on them. Started a whole new eBay obsession. Have you any idea how many whacky shaped cookie cuttres are out there.
ReplyDeleteYou'tr a lucky girl living in Melbourne. I'm a former Melburnian and would go back to the city of good eating in a flash. Don't let anyone tell you Sydney's better.
Love your blog
Kes
http://eatingyear.blogspot.com/
Cin - I remember your cheesy biscuits. I think doing them in a log would be easier, to be honest, but there's that whole icky feet thing that so much fun.
ReplyDeletePille - I remember that post! You used some caraway, I think. Inspired by that, I actually added a little dried thyme to mine. They're so much fun, aren't they? - and get such a reaction.
Stephanie - Of course you need another cookie cutter!! :-)
Dianka - Thank you :-)
K - Thanks so much for the tips. I think you're right about the shorter cooking time. I did some stars as well, when I had leftover dough - they were easier to cut out as well. Those toes can get really fiddly...
Lushlife - There's a woman who make cheese shortbread at our church market stall, and they're the best things I've tasted. I'd love to know how she does it. I mean to keep them to serve with things, but they're usually gone before I get home...
Kestypes - I can imagine there are some crazy biscuit cutters. I saw some crazy birthday cake tins recently, actually.
Love your view on Melbourne - I agree entirely! I've never been much of a fan of Sydney either, to be honest....
The feet cutters are available in Germany. These biscuits/pastries are quite common there. I have had some German girls visiting and their recipe is delish!! 250 gms flout, 3 teaspns baking powder, 250 gms Quark (Coles stores stock it made by Casa) 250 gms margarine, 250 gms grated cheese. Everything is mixed together with the hands. Very sticky mixture so need lots of flour when kneading the dough. Roll out, cut and decorate with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds paprika etc. Bake at 200c for 10-12 mins
ReplyDelete