Pepato Walnut Crackers

We love these uniquely tasty crackers for any occasion when we’re serving cheeses, charcuterie and chutney – or just on their own.  Pepato, our Tuscan-style aged sheep cheese, lends a naturally floral fragrance and the earthy, pungency of black peppercorns.

Makes 2 dozen

 

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 Tablespoon of cracked black pepper
3 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup grated (2 1/2 ounces) Bellwether Farms Pepato (aged sheep cheese with peppercorns)
1 cup chopped walnuts
5 tablespoons mascarpone

 

Directions

 

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese and walnuts and pulse until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of the mascarpone at a time, pulsing each time to combine. Process until dough comes together and is well combined

Transfer dough to a work surface and shape it into a 2-inch-wide log. Wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm, or refrigerate overnight and bake next day.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Slice chilled log into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place on the baking sheet. Bake immediately, rotating once, until crackers are golden brown and firm in the center, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Crackers may be made ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week or in the freezer for up to six months.