Recipe - Cheese Coins

Now that we are nearing the BIG holiday season, I thought this would be an appropriate recipe to share. I've made these several times in the past month for parties, and they have been a big hit. They would also make great edible gifts wrapped up in a pretty tin or glass jar. They'd also be a tasty addition to any buffet or just to have on hand for holiday house guests to munch on.

The recipe seems more complicated that it actually is, but it does take around an hour from start to finish. I've also included a list of the equipment you'll need. If you assemble all the ingredients and equipment before you start, it will make it go faster. To add even more to the time commitment, please PLEASE shred the cheddar yourself. It makes them taste fresher and it builds great arm muscles (or you can cheat and use the food processor).

You can use either a hand or stand mixer to combine the ingredients. The stand mixer is by far easier to use, but it makes the coins just a wee bit tougher. Beware if you use the hand mixer, though. Bits of cheddar and butter will leap from the bowl and attach themselves to your cabinets, your hair, the floor, and any nearby pets or loved ones.

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Extra flour for work surface

Kosher or sea salt

Equipment:

1 large mixing bowl

1 medium mixing bowl

Whisk

Hand OR stand mixer

Spatula

Rolling pin

1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter

2 large baking sheets

fork

Take the butter out of the fridge and place in large mixing bowl. Preheat oven to 375.

In medium bowl, combine flour and cayenne and black peppers. Whisk to combine well.

Add cheese to butter in large mixing bowl. Using hand or stand mixer, beat until well combined. Slowly add flour and continue to beat until it forms a crumbly dough. Knead dough in bowl. As it warms, it will combine into a large ball.

Place dough on a floured work surface. Roll to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into individual rounds using the biscuit cutter. Reroll scraps and cut some more. Place in single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. They won't expand much, so you only need to keep 1/2-1/4 inch space between them.

Prick the top of each coin with the fork and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack and keep in an air tight container. I don't know how long they'll keep, though, since we always eat them all up in a day.