Flaky Cheese Hearts

These homemade flaky crackers are great to nibble on with a glass of wine or as a savory snack for entertaining. Bake them too with this easy recipe!

The recipe originates in the Czech Republic, where it is quite popular among home bakers. Just five ingredients create a pliable, buttery dough from which you can cut out any shape you like. Before baking the crackers, sprinkle the surface with poppy or caraway seeds, whose aroma makes them a real Czech thing.

MY TIP: If you're looking for ideas to celebrate Valentine's Day, these heart-shaped crackers are a nice inspiration!

A fan of Czech recipes? Try out bramboraky, garlicky potato pancakes (they taste so good!)

➜ Ingredients

To make flaky cheese hearts, you will need:

BUTTERY DOUGH:

• Unsalted butter; take it out of the fridge about half an hour in advance
• All-purpose flour
• Egg yolk; reserve the egg white for brushing later
• Semi-hard cheese; grated. Get a fattier one with about 40-45% fat content. The type of cheese will affect the final taste and saltiness of the pastry. In this recipe, I used an Italian cheese called Provolone.
• Salt

TOPPING:

• Egg white; which you have leftover from the yolk. You won't use the whole of it; you'll just need it to brush the surface of the shapes before you sprinkle and pop it in the oven.
• Sprinkles; to taste. I used whole caraway seeds and poppy seeds. Coarse salt is another option.

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

➜ Instructions

STEP 1: Put the butter cut into pieces in a bowl. Add the egg yolk, finely grated cheese, flour, and salt. Make a fine, smooth dough out of the ingredients. Wrap it in cling film and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

STEP 2: In the meantime, line a baking tray with parchment paper. Dust the working surface with a bit of flour and get a rolling pin.

STEP 3: Roll out the rested dough to a thickness of about ¼ inch (0.6 cm) – not too thin! Use a cookie cutter to cut out hearts. Using a flat knife, transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.

STEP 4: Brush the egg white over the surface of the hearts. Sprinkle some of them with whole caraway seeds, others with poppy seeds.

STEP 5: Bake the hearts in a preheated oven at 356°F / 180°C (upper and lower heating) for 20 minutes until the surface is golden.

➜ Serving

Arrange the baked heart crackers in a bowl or on a platter and serve as a savory treat. They are excellent with a glass of wine or a beer.

MY TIP: Browse the category with delicious Czech appetizers as well!

➜ Useful tips

• In addition to the poppy and caraway seeds, sprinkle the hearts with sesame seeds, sweet ground paprika, or any good spice mix you have tried.
• During baking, the hearts will puff up and become fluffy. They are soft and kind of fragile. And dangerously addictive!
• Store baked cheese hearts in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. They'll keep for about a week.

More tasty recipes:

• Pork schnitzel – breaded & fried cutlets
• Homemade ham spread
• Czech open-faced sandwiches
• Shredded cheese biscuits