Parmesan Thyme Crackers

I'm sometimes afraid that people who randomly come across my blog are going to read the name and instantly think it's about being "green".  For the cooking to be about saving energy, reducing waste or any other manner of going "green".  I am all for going green, I reuse plastic produce bags and bring my own cloth sacks to the grocery store.  But that is not what this is about.  Besides my dislike of new plastic bags, the only real extent of my "green-ness", is my hatred of wasting food.

I've mentioned this before.  I only mention it again as an excuse to you for once again, so soon, repeating a recipe.  When my parents were visiting, we got my dad some half and half for his coffee.  And since only half of the half and half was actually used, I needed a vehicle for the rest.  Just days before I had sorted through my stack of newspaper cut-outs and magazine rip-outs, in an attempt to be better, and found this gem. 

Now, in my defense, this was a completely different recipe source than last time.  Ok, that was a lie, but a lie I just discovered.  Turns out Deb grabbed it from the same source I did.  Mark Bittman, New York Times, 2009.  So really, what you are looking at here is some marvelously easy Parmesan crackers, with the addition of some fresh thyme.  And a new newspaper article in my big green cookbook.  Because it always comes back to green.

Parmesan Thyme Crackers

Adapted from NYT article, February 2009

1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 sprigs fresh thyme
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut in chunks
1/4 c. half and half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In bowl of food processor, combine first 4 ingredients.  Pulse until combined well.   Add unsalted butter and pulse machine until butter and flour mixture come together.  Turn machine on and stream in half and half.  If necessary, add more half and half by the teaspoon until dough comes together, but is not sticky.

Turn dough out onto floured surface.  Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thick, adding flour as needed to keep dough from getting sticky.  Once rolled thin, transfer dough to prepared cookie sheet.  Using dull side of a knife, score dough in checkered pattern.   Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Let cool on baking sheet and break apart.  Store extra in air tight container.