Spicy Cheese Crisps

These spicy cheese crisps are a perfect marriage of a cracker and a cookie. They're butter and salt all in one bite. A friend gave me the recipe years ago, and I love to bake them for parties because they're always a crowd pleaser. Yesterday I took them to a birthday party. The cayenne pepper gives them a little kick, you can adjust the amount you add depending on how spicy you want them.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

3/4 tspn salt

1/4 tspn cayenne pepper

8 oz grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup softened butter

In a medium bowl mix flour, salt, and cayenne pepper together. Add cheese and butter. Work with hands until dough forms. Transfer to wax paper, form a 1 1/2 inch log, and rollup. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 400. Slice 1/4 inch thick, arrange 1 inch apart and bake for about 15 minutes.

Cheese Souffle

I've always been intimidated by the idea of baking a souffle. However, I recently decided it was time to face my demons. With a little coaching from my mom, I successfully baked my very first cheese souffle.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

a pinch of cayenne

1 sprig of thyme

4 eggs

4 ounces goat cheese

Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk the milk in, little by little. Season the bechamel with salt, pepper, cayenne, and thyme. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the bechamel. Add the goat cheese. Stir and taste for salt. It should be a teensy bit too salty. Preheat the oven to 375. Butter a 1 quart souffle dish with 1 tablespoon butter. White the egg whites into moist firm peaks. Stir one third of the whites into the souffle base. Then gently fold the base into the rest of the egg whites. Pour the mixture into the buttered dish and bake for 35 minutes, or until puffed up and golden. Serve immediately, or you will see it deflate before your eyes!