In my house, Christmas would not be Christmas without some type of spicy cheeselets. Everyone looks for them and the chance to grab a few before they are all gone – no matter how many batches I make. There are a number of cheeselet recipes on my site, all with variations for you to try.  Another 2024 Christmas Treat (for your eating pleasure) – Spicy Prosciutto Cheeselets.

Again, these are not just for Christmas, they are great anytime of the year. Superbowl party, Leafs winning the Stanley Cup (just kidding!), really any summer gathering where good company and cold beer are. We didn’t always make them this spicy, that craziness evolved when I helped my mum make a “special” batch just fo me.  In the past, I have made these with extra hot cayenne pepper, fresh Scotch Bonnets/habaneros, fresh Curry leaves, fresh green chilies etc. Check ’em out!

But this is different, I added some prosciutto to the dough. Italy meets India style, just the way Maria likes it! Best way to do this without getting the prosciutto to turn into paste is to add it to the processor with the flour. The flour will help dry out the moisture of the prosciutto giving you a nice blend of coarse prosciutto laced flour. Then add all the ingredients except for the cream, and blend/pulse in the next go.  Slowly add the cream through the spout of your processor and pulse until it combines. I also used a combination of old cheddar and parmigiano reggiano. I didn’t add any salt, there was enough in the prosciutto and cheeses. Bake these until they are crispy on the outside and still a bit softer on the inside. If you like them crunchier, leave them in for 1 – 2 minutes longer. They continue to crisp up as they cool.

All I can say about this Christmas Treat is to double or triple batch it as one will definitely not be enough. Adjust the heat to suit your taste, we are chili heads (my wife has another name for us), and heat and taste, is important to us. There had to be something savory and this fits the bill.  As always – enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
6 slices Prosciutto
9 oz old cheddar, grated or pulsed – the sharper the cheddar the better the taste
3 oz Parmigiano Reggiano
12 tbsp. butter
4-6 tbsp. 35% cream
2 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
2 tbsp. hot mustard or mustard powder

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 400 F, line a cookie sheet with parchment
2.  Using your food processor or a grater, pulse/grate the cheese until it looks hand grated – save yourself some time and use a food processor, just chop into smaller bits before pulsing several times – remove to a bowl and set aside 
3.  To the same processor bowl, add the flour and prosciutto, pulse to incorporate into a thick sandy consistency
4.  Add the cheese, cayenne, butter, mustard and pulse until well mixed
5.  Using the spout on your processor and with the machine running, add the cream – 1 tbsp at a time (you can also pulse this process) – allow about 15 seconds before adding the next spoon of cream, you should notice the consistency of the dough changing and clumping
6.  When it starts to form a ball, stop the processor and empty the contents onto a piece of parchment, bring it together and divide in half – it just makes it easier to roll out
7.  Roll each half onto the parchment to 3/8ths inches (this isn’t a life or death operation, it’s cheeselets, damn good ones, but cheeselets!
8.  Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut into ½” strips, then crosswise into diamond shapes or just rectangular, or use a cookie cutter – just keep them small, you want your guests to try everything on your Christmas table
9.  Bake for 10 – 12 minutes – they will harden as they sit outside 
10. When cool, transfer to an airtight container if not serving the same day – refrigerate if making in advance, bring to room temperature before serving

Tips, Notes and/or Recommendations:
Vary the type of cheese used, try it with some blue cheese and white cheddar, the portions will depend on how much you like the taste of blue cheese, just keep the proportion the same i.e. 12 oz of cheese total
Baking a few minutes longer results in a crispier cookie, I like it chewy
Add some fresh heat from scotch bonnets or Thai chillies
Don’t want to add the cream? Use milk or water instead to bring the dough together
Check out other variations in previous posts in this blog