Talon IPA Gorgonzola Bites
Homemade cheese crackers are a real treat—and crazy-easy to make. Impress your friends with bespoke beer and cheese pairing with crackers made featuring your favorite beers. These Talon IPA Gorgonzola Bites took less than an hour from start to finish, and they were delicious. Now I’m interested in trying different beers and cheese mixes, like Eye of the Hawk Sharp Cheddar and Black Hawk Stout Blue.
(Thanks to Beer and Baking for the inspiration!)
Talon IPA Gorgonzola Bites
Ingredients
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup crumble Gorgonzola cheese
4 tablespoons butter (cold, cut into small cubes)
¼ cup Talon IPA
Directions
Combine the flour, salt, cheese and butter in a bowl and mix, cutting in the butter. Add the beer and mix until the dough forms into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
After dough has chilled, roll it out to a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1-inch squares.
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or other non-stick material (or dust with flour) and arrange the crackers in a single layer. Poke small holes in the top of the cracker to help release air bubbles during cooking. You can also sprinkle on some salt or dried herbs.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until slightly brown. Depending on your oven, you may want to rotate the pan halfway through cooking time.
Remove from oven and let cool completely. Offer with servings of Talon IPA!
Tips
To “cut in” butter means to dice up the cold cubes even smaller, so they mix evenly in the flour mixture. The butter should be cold, because warm butter will melt and form clumps. You can cut in butter by mixing it into the dry ingredients with a pair of forks or butter knives, by pulsing the entire mixture in a food processor (flour and all), or by mixing it with the whisk attachment on an electric stand mixer (my preferred technique).
Roll the crackers thinner than you think you should! I rolled mine to cracker thickness, and they nearly doubled when I baked them. They still tasted great, though!
As ever, we welcome any beer-inspired recipes or pairings you have to share! Post them below or visit us on Facebook.