Parmesan biscuits

Ingredients

125g/4½oz chilled butter, cubed
125g/4½oz plain flour
25g/1oz freshly grated parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Rub the butter into the flour, by hand or in a food processor, until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the parmesan, seasoning and cayenne pepper.
4. Work the mixture together into a ball and then knead briefly on a work surface lightly dusted with flour until smooth.
5. Cut the dough in half, flatten each piece slightly, then roll out thinly between 2 large sheets of cling film.
6. Lift off the top piece of cling film and cut into 5cm/2in biscuits.
7. Carefully lift them onto a lightly buttered baking sheet, then knead together and re-roll the trimmings to make more biscuits. You should make about 30 biscuits in total.
8. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes until crisp and golden. Leave to cool on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight tin.