Basil Parmesan Crisps 52 Appetizer Recipes

I made these this week as part of my Christmas Dinner.  A wonderful little appetizer.  But I am going to do a bit of a cheat, as I did a post on these way back when I was an Islander (6 months, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands).  Prettier Photos, but also shows better how useful these are.  Not just as an appetizer (one of my "Top Five" of course, but also makes a fun tasty garnish...

These are so easy, I feel a little guilty about even posting this.


But, I have such pretty photos...

And they make extra pretty garnishes for your ...


Pan Seared RIB EYE STEAK with a Cognac Pan Sauce 
served with...
Garlic Basil Pea Puree
And especially sticking out of...
Mashers - Garlic Mashed Potatoes

So, since they look so pretty, and make such useful garnishes for your plate, but MOST OF ALL, THESE ARE ABOUT THE TASTIEST LITTLE TIDBITS OF CHEESE YOU COULD EVER ASK FOR!!!


They are... Really!


All you need is a sheet of parchment paper,
2 TBS of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
and a preheated oven set at 325 degrees...


Heck, if you keep an eye on em, you really don't even need to preheat the oven.

spread the cheese around to make a cookie shape, mostly flat.  the beauty comes from it's rustic unevenness, so no need to used a round cookie cutter to get a uniform look (unless you like that kind of thing).

It's done when the edges start to reach a golden brown crispness, while the center is bubbling.  Since this is a hard cheese, even though it melts and sticks together, the holes do not fill in, making it even more pretty!

See...


And they taste really good as well.  Nothin' but salty cheese!
...


And whenever I ponder my warmer days on the island, I like to share one of my snorkeling photos.  This guy lived about 100 yards out my front door, Big Sea Turtle, the fish taking a ride is a small shark.  Till they get bigger, they like to scavenge the little fishes that are dug up when the turtle eats the sea grass...

Circle of life thing!

Stay warm!