Parmesan biscuits, or ‘cheesy puffs’ like my family calls them, make a delicious canape for any occasion.
I make these Parmesan biscuits every year for Christmas to serve with aubergine dip. This is a recipe from my childhood that was too good to let go of, so last year I successfully veganised it.
I use gingerbread men cookie cutters to make the biscuits look festive and top them with salt, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and vegan Parmesan. The ‘cheesy puffs’ are also great with humus or other festive dips. The recipe makes a big batch, so feel free to half it. However, the biscuits are so buttery and delicious that they will disappear very quickly!
The biscuits are very easy to make, just keep in mind the following:
– It is very important that the vegan block/butter is soft, so use room temperature butter or heat it in the microwave for a few seconds until soft, but not melted. Hard butter will be impossible to mix with the ingredients.
– The dough needs to be chilled for 4 hours or over night, so I recommend that you plan ahead.
The recipe is very special to me, because my mum used to make it for me a child. The recipe originates from a Romanian cook book by Silvia Jurcovan. I used to request these biscuits a lot as a kid and now my family do too. The recipe is a real keeper that stands the test of time, going into the future cruelty free. Happy baking!
Ingredients
200g soft vegan block/butter (at room temperature)
1 chia egg (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water)
200ml Oatly creme fraiche
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
30g grated vegan Parmesan
400g flour
50g flour for rolling the dough
50ml plant milk for brushing
Toppings: salt, grated vegan Parmesan, sesame seeds, cumin seeds.
Method
1.Make the chia egg by mixing a tablespoons of ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes until it starts to set (it becomes like jelly).
2.Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Cube the soft vegan butter and add it to the mixing bowl with the chia egg, Oatly creme fraiche, salt, ground cumin and 30g grated vegan Parmesan. Mix until combined.
3.Next, add in the flour (400g) and mix until combined and the dough comes together. Roll the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, dust with flour, cover in cling film and chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
4.Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5. Line a couple of baking trays with baking parchment.
5.Take 1/4th of the dough, dust a surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it reaches the thickness of a £1 coin, or even slightly thinner. The biscuits will puff during baking quite a lot. Cut out the biscuits using cookie cutters and place in the baking trays. Brush with the plant milk and top with your favourite toppings.
6.Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. I bake two trays in the same time, on different levels and I find that the biscuits in the top tray cook faster, so I rotate the trays.
7.Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you finish all the dough. Enjoy with your favourite dips!
Thanks for the recipe go to my mum.
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