Parmesan Pita Crisps

These crisps pair perfectly with any appetizer spread!

Parmesan Pita Crisps:

6-8 circles of pita bread, approx. 6 in. in diameter (see Note)

2 tbsp. olive oil

¼ c. Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Cut each circle of pita bread into 8 wedges. Arrange on parchment-covered baking sheet, dabbing lightly with oil. (Tip: Most recipes for Pita Crisps require far more oil. I put my oil in a squeeze bottle, running a fast ribbon across the triangles of bread before dabbing them with a silicone pastry brush. Alternately, you could place the oil in a spray bottle, but I prefer a little more oil than that. Both methods are calorie-cutters!)

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (Tip: I use a shaker jar for this little job. It's faster than spooning it on. More importantly, Parmesan is very salty; shaking rather than spooning it prevents the salty flavor from becoming too strong.) Top with a grinding of salt and fresh pepper. Bake 8 min. and turn over.

Squirt and dab oil on turned pita wedges. Shake on Parmesan. Do not add more salt or pepper. Bake a further 7 min. Serve hot or cold. These may be prepared ahead. Stored in an air-tight container away from excessive heat, they'll keep well for a couple of weeks. 

Note: Most pita bread is thin, slightly puffed, and easily splits into two halves. This type of pita bread produces a very thin "crisp," or "chip." Intending to buy the thinner type of pita, I inadvertently bought a dense, heavier pita bread that didn't split horizontally. When I realized my error, I felt certain my recipe would fail. Instead, it was delectable, providing the perfect base for my robust Spicy Lentil Spread.