Spicy Cornmeal Parmesan Crackers

[sister herb]

makes about 75 crackers

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup cold buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190C.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, cayenne pepper, Parmesan cheese and butter. Process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add the buttermilk in a stream. Blend until the dough forms a ball within the mixing bowl.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few seconds. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Cut the dough into quarters. Rewrap the rest of the dough while you work with each quarter. Roll the dough out to 1/16-inch thickness. Use a 1-3/4-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the crackers and place them on a baking sheet. Imprint each cracker with the tines of a fork. Repeat until all the crackers and cut out. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are golden and crisp. Keep a close eye on the crackers after 8 or 10 minutes. They brown quickly. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.


By step to step:






Crunch from cornmeal. Salty goodness from the Parmesan cheese. Spice from cayenne pepper. Nuttiness from whole wheat flour.
Geeez! That’s a lot packed into one little round.







Cracker dough. That took seven minutes from measuring to mixing.











Source: http://joythebaker.com/2010/07/spicy-cornmeal-parmesan-crackers/

 

[Mahzala]

Isn't parmesan among the haraam cheeses, with animal rennet?

 

[sister herb]

Salam alaykum

If rennet is from cow, not from pig, is it still haram?


Cheese is often made with rennet or rennin, which is used to coagulate the dairy product. It is an enzyme used in coagulating cheese, comes from particles of the stomach of a milk-fed calves.

There are many non rennet cheeses: parmesan, ricotta, cottage cheese, cream cheese and at the same time you may find some non animal rennet like solution from the Stinging Nettle plant a very popular way in the UK of making cheese.

***

1. In the Hanafi School, rennet obtained from an animal slaughtered by a non-Muslim or Muslim in accordance with Islamic law or contrary to it, in all cases is permissible, as long as the animal in question is not a pig.

Most well informed people are adamant that rennet, which is used to make cheese, is not derived from pigs.

2. Rennet, Rennin as an enzyme is used in the food industry for the preparation of cheese by curdling milk. The only way to know whether the source of rennet is animal, plant or microbe is to ask the food industry about it or have it written on the label.

The lawfulness of rennet does not depend on the slaughterer being a Muslim or non-Muslim, in fact it depends upon whether there is life in it or not. The circulation of blood in an organ is the cause of life. No blood flows through rennet, therefore rennet is not a living thing. Therefore, it cannot 'die' and it is thus permissible to consume rennet.
[Muslim Food Guide, pg 25-30, http://www.halaal.co.uk ]

3. It has been narrated in the major hadith collection s from Abdullah ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him and hi s father) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was brought cheese in the Battle of Tabuk. He asked for a knife then recited 'bismillah' and cut the cheese.' (Abu Dawud)

Cheese made with animal rennet other than a pig source is halal. The fuqaha explain, however, that it is better to avoid whenever reasonably possible when its source is unknown because of the difference of opinion between the Sunni schools of fiqh regarding its permissibility and the doubt therein.