Asiago Crisps

Asiago crisps, our recipe for this week, are the perfect little cocktail nibble before you settle down to the big meal. We used Foxboro’s Asiago, available at several local winter markets. Ridiculously simple and good, these crisps, and you can easily double or treble the recipe assuming you have enough baking sheets.

Asiago Crisps

½ cup fine shreds of Asiago cheese
1tsp. flour

Heat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with non-stick parchment. Finely grate Asiago, using firm strokes to make long shreds. Toss well with flour. Put 12 mounds of cheese on a baking sheet, using about a teaspoon for each one. Spread each mound into a thin, almost lacy, 2-inch round. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes, taking care not to burn.  Lift off carefully with a spatula. Cool on a rack, and store crisps in an airtight tin until serving time.
These cheesy crisps are plain good, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun playing with flavorings. Grind black pepper over some of the Asiago circles before baking. Or sprinkle sparsely with poppy seeds, or minced herbs, such as fresh rosemary, thyme or sage.

Note: For Foxboro’s vintage Asiago, which is drier, use half the amount of flour and skip flavorings – it’s wonderfully nutty just as is.