Parmesan biscuits
“In Australia, parmesan is a general word we use when referring to one of two Italian grana cheeses, grana padano and parmigiano reggiano.”
- 125g salted butter
- 250g plain flour,
- 80g grated parmesan
- 1 egg
- salt
Though grana padano and parmigiano reggiano are produced in a similar way, there are differences between them that go beyond price. Generally, reggiano is more expensive because it is aged longer - typically three years or more but, for some great wheels, more than a decade. Both cheeses use a combination of evening and morning milk. For grana padano, both milk batches are skimmed. For reggiano, the evening milk is allowed to separate, skimmed the next day and added to the full-cream morning milk.
Method
In a food processor, mix together: 125g salted butter, 250g plain flour, 80g grated parmesan, 1 egg and a pinch salt. Pulse until they are well incorporated and the dough forms a ball. If the ingredients are too dry put a little water in until the dough catches. Remove from the processor, form the dough into a sausage about the diameter of a 50c piece and rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Cut the sausage into coins 3-4mm thick and place on a baking sheet.
Cook for 10-12 minutes until golden.
Cool, then serve with olives as a snack.
Makes 30-40 biscuits.
