Rosemary Cheese Bites
By La Pomme de Portland’s Carrie Minns.  Inspired by Ina, Dorie, Martha and Victoria
Yield: 3-4 dozen depending on how you slice it
 
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp minced, fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper or freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sticks, unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
• 1 c gruyere cheese, grated
• 1 c parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine your flour, rosemary, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Then in the bowl of a food processor, add your butter and your cheeses. Process a few times or until the mixture comes together and starts to form little pea-sized chunks.
Pour in your flour mixture and process again until the ingredients come together and start to look like a coarse meal.
 

Turn out the whole mixture onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to bring it all together to form a ball. Divide the ball into two sections. Carefully, roll each section out to form a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and about 9-10 inches long. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to a day. Even better, bake one batch now and freeze the other batch of dough for up to 6 months and save for another day.
 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees while your dough is chilling.
Once properly chilled, take your log of dough and slice into 1/4 inch rounds. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat liner and bake for 14-16 minutes.
 

While the crackers are baking, you can let your imagination go wild with topping ideas. Of course, these crackers are delicious plain but since you really want to thank your friends for being such amazing people why not jazz them up a bit?
 

Topping Ideas:

• A slathering of goat cheese topped with a Marcona almond and a drop of honey
• A slathering of goat cheese topped with a little scoop of pepper jelly or any other jelly you may have on hand and love.
• Little slices of cucumber and salami
• A slathering of hummus and a slice of cucumber
• A bit of jarred marinara sauce and a grilled prawn
• Sliced fresh tomatoes and a scoop of caramelized onions
• Sliced fresh tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and a basil leaf