Parmesan Thyme Crackers

When Ina Garten speaks, I listen. Her fifth cookbook was published last month and my very good friend Judy presented me with a copy of it for my birthday. (Judy also brought The Art of Simple Food into my life— the lady clearly knows how to pick cookbooks.) Ina’s latest venture is excellent. For those of you familiar with her, you will be happy to see that she still can curate an exciting and accessible collection of recipes. The book is a real pleasure to read and she offers some good entertaining tips. You’ll also be happy to know she still loves butter. She always manages to shock me with how much butter she is able to fit into her recipes. Quite frankly, it scares me. But there is no denying that it tastes good.

Her recipe for Parmesan Thyme Crackers immediately caught my attention. They would be great served with some wine or snacked on any time. I’d like to try them with apple jellies or even a plate of grapes. A really good thing to have on hand when quests are over. These are easy to make and quite delicious.

Parmesan Thyme Crackers

  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed add the Parmesan, thyme, salt, and black pepper and combine. With the mixer still on low, add the flour and combine until the mixture is in large crumbles, about 1 minute. If the dough is too dry, add 1 teaspoon water.

Dump the dough onto a floured board, press it into a ball, and roll into a 9-inch log. Wrap in plastic and refridgerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F. Cut the log into 3/8-inch-thick rounds with a small, sharp knife and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 22 minutes, until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature.

18 comments to “Parmesan Thyme Crackers”

  1. I love Ina! Your crackers are so gorgeous and incredibly photogenic. I want to reach into my screen and grab one! They look buttery and wonderful!

  2. Ooo they look great. I love cheesy biscuits. I’ve never tried an Ina Garten recipe before, actually. Maybe this could be my first.

  3. A friend just gave me one of Ina’s books for my birthday too. I just love savory nibbles like this. I could easily make a meal with something like these and forget all about the turkey. You photographed these beautifully.

  4. Me too Susan, honestly- I don’t care that much about the turkey, I would be happy with some of these and a glass of wine!

  5. i just made these and had a terrible time cutting the dough- it pretty much just disintegrated, any ideas? i did end up adding about 2 1/2 tsps water, perhaps i just needed to add more.

  6. Oh Alyson, I’m sorry- that is terrible. I only needed the one teaspoon, so it seems strange that you would need more than 2. Is it possible the butter was too cold? Or that the flour got packed and maybe you added too much flour? A couple of my friends have made these and I’ll ask if they ran into any problems that might help…!

  7. you know, i am a pretty careful baker, i think next time i will just add the flour in small amounts until i get it right. i ended up smooshing all the crumbs into one thin giant cracker on the pan then broke it up and they taste absolutely beautiful! i am soooo glad that i found you, i have made other recipes and they were amazing. thanks!

  8. OMG, these look wonderful. I think I will make them tonight! Can anyone tell me approximately how many cookies this recipe will yield?

  9. Hi Judy,
    If memory serves me- I think I got about 2 dozen of these out of the recipe….good luck!

  10. These look amazing. I can’t wait to make them! I’m so happy I found your blog, Tim.
    A question for you: I noticed that many of your recipes require an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (which I don’t have). Do you think I can use my food processor instead? Or a hand-held electric beater? Many thanks for the inspiration and gorgeous photos…

  11. Hey Missy! I am glad you found me too. Sure, you can almost always use a handheld electric mixer instead of the stand mixer.

  12. I’m making these crackers now, and the dough is really dry and crumbly. The recipe calls for 4 oz. grated parmesan (about 1 cup); however, my 1 cup equaled just 1 -1/2 oz. cheese. Would using 4 oz. (weight) of cheese make the dough moister?

  13. Hi Jane, I’m not sure. Weight is always a more accurate measurement- especially when it comes to cheeses. The dough is crumbly, but I have made this several times and never had a problem with it holding together. You can add a little water to help bind it. Sorry to hear you are having troubles with it!

  14. Julie Powell says:

    November 19th, 2010 at 10:02 am

    I can’t get fresh thyme this time of year, and I would like to make these savory crackers to serve British family members. What can I substitute?

  15. Hi Julie,
    You could substitute dried thyme and probably get good results. Anything else would totally change the flavor profile.

  16. Recently made these and they were delicious. A huge hit on my sweet and savory Christmas cookie platter. Thanks! P.S. Your photos are always tempting and lovely.

  17. Just made these to give as a gift for the second time in the past two years. They were a huge hit last year, and so much fun to make (especially this year, when I really gave the butter time to soften). The perfect savory complement to a cookie-filled time of year. Happy new year, Tim!

  18. I have made these a few times and they are delicious! The butter being at room temperature is definitely key. I have used fresh rosemary in these in lieu of fresh thyme and they were equally wonderful.

What do you think?