Savoury Emmental & Walnut Biscuits

📝 Ingredients

• 120 g plain flour
• 50 g very cold unsalted butter
• 60 g grated Emmental
• 30 g walnut halves
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp cold water
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Mixing bowl
• Chef's knife
• Fork
• Cling film
• Baking tray + baking paper

📖 Steps

1. Roughly chop the walnut halves with a knife into pieces the size of a grain of rice: any bigger and they would make the slices break when you cut them. Chop the grated Emmental a little more finely so it spreads evenly through the dough.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, thyme, 2 pinches of salt and some pepper. Add the cold butter, cut into small cubes, and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse sand, without letting the butter melt in your hands.
3. Add the Emmental, walnuts and egg yolk and mix with a fork. Add the cold water a spoonful at a time, pressing the dough together, until it forms a ball. Don't knead for long: the dough just needs to hold together.
4. Place the dough on a large piece of cling film and roll it into an even log about 4 cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Wrap the film tightly, twisting the ends, then chill for 30 min in the fridge or 15 min in the freezer.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 °C while the dough firms up and line a baking tray with baking paper. The dough must be well chilled and firm to the touch before slicing, or the biscuits will squash when you cut them.
6. Remove the film and slice the log into 7 to 8 mm rounds with a sharp knife, giving the log a quarter turn after each slice so it stays round. Place them on the tray 2 cm apart.
7. Bake for 13 to 16 min, until the edges are nicely golden and the tops pale golden. Keep an eye on them for the last few minutes, as the cheese browns quickly. The biscuits are still a little soft when they come out of the oven: that's normal.
8. Leave to cool for 5 min on the tray, then slide them onto a wire rack or a large plate: they firm up and turn crisp as they cool. You should get about 24 biscuits, or 6 per serving.