My tip of the month for February 2013 was to buy Food Network Magazine’s Cheese issue. The first thing that I made? These addictive smoked paprika Parmesan crisps (see p. 63 of the issue.) They were incredibly easy to make and impossible to keep around – absolutely fantastic! But then I knew they would be, with cheese as the main ingredient and hot paprika providing just the right amount of smoky spice.

I did modify Food Network’s recipe a bit. Since I bought Parmesan that was already shredded, I added a little bit of water to help hold the cheese mixture together. I’m not sure if you would need to do that if you grate your own cheese, but imagine that it would be moister so you would not need to add the water. I also mixed in some garlic  salt, but next time will switch to garlic powder or minced garlic – the cheese is salty enough. as is.

Ingredients (Makes 24 crisps)

• 3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons smoked Spanish hot paprika (I love Savory Spice Shop’s paprika)
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt (or garlic powder)
• ¼ cup water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together all of the ingredients.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it well with cooking spray. Spoon 12 mounds of the cheese mixture (1 heaping tablespoon each) onto the baking sheet, and flatten each with a spatula. Lightly spray the tops with the cooking spray.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the crisps are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Repeat the process for the remaining cheese mixture. These go great with a nice glass of wine.

These are so easy and so delicious! Next time I will try using some different cheeses, or add some Asiago or extra sharp cheddar to the Parmesan.

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

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