Spicy Parmigiano-Reggiano Biscuits

Serve with pistachio nuts and glasses of champagne for an elegant appetizer.

Ingredients
100g plain flour
100g unsalted butter
1 tsp cayenne pepper
125g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
Pinch of sea salt

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200*C. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the butter, salt and ½ tsp of the cayenne and rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then add 100g of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Using your hands, form the mixture into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough under a sheet of baking parchment to about 5mm thick. Cut out circles using a 4cm pastry cutter, re-rolling until all the dough has been used. Place on 2 lightly oiled baking sheets, spacing out well as they will spread when cooked. Brush with the egg and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and cayenne.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, checking often as they brown very quickly; they should be lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheets. Place on a serving plate or store in an airtight container. Makes about 30.