Meet me here for a Champagne Sunrise on Christmas day and Crackers with cheese!

I will be here at Dawn on Christmas morning to wish you Merry Christmas.  You will know I am home because there will be a candle burning in the big East window.  The candle is an old family tradition of indeterminate origin so just go with it.  This is the sunrise from the East window.  Well you know that now because it is  one of my favourite shots.  

We will have dinner with The Matriarch on  Christmas Eve so I may be slightly blurry.  But I will be up to watch the sunrise with you guys.

Now the bad news is that  I forgot to buy the crackers to nibble with my  Christmas Sunrise Champagne.  And it is not shopping day. So we will have to make them.

The Dirty Rooster has been in the fields and is confused by how much mud he has on his feet!

Parmesan Crackers with Rosemary for all Good Boys and Girls. Actually I don’t mind if you share with the bad girls. Oh dear, THAT did NOT come out right! (delete, delete, delete.)

In Food Processor:

• Scant cup of unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp good salt-don’t use that powdery stuff. (salt is optional)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 3 tsp chopped rosemary. (I have brought my precious rosemary plant inside, so the winter does not kill it.  I picked at the tips apologising the whole time .. sorry little plant, sorry, I am really sorry but you are so tasty!)

PULSE

• 1 cup finely grated Mama’s home-made Parmesan cheese.
• 3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into cubes.

PULSE a bit more

• add 4 tablespoons sour cream one spoon at a time.

PULSE until the mix looks like big heavy wet breadcrumbs.

Working fast so your butter does not warm. Roll into log shape, wrap in clingfilm/gladwrap and rest in the fridge for at least a couple of  hours.  It can even sit overnight.

Slice to 1/4 inch thick.

Check to make sure you do not have an entire leg of organic, grass fed lamb roast, still in its paper wrapping,  defrosting in the oven where the cats can’t get it, before you turn the oven on (sigh).  Then bake at 325 until golden brown. 25 – 35 mins.

Turn the crackers over half way through to brown both sides.  Store in an airtight container and hide until Sunrise, Christmas Morning.

Poor Mama is still waiting to get better. Everyone else is out in the sun and she is still locked up in the hospital wing. She is now officially not an organic sheep as she is on antibiotics.  The vet said.  I think that today she is brighter. Her dour temperament has certainly returned.

This recipe originally came from Martha Stewart and her team, however it was passed to me through a very muddled process, so it may be a little different by now!

Maybe we should invent a drink called Champagne Sunrise! Of course, that will call for a lot of experimentation with Champagne. I think we are up for it? Yeah?

c