Mousetraps

4 October 202211 May 2023

Introduction

There are as many ways to make these cheesy snacks as there are to make a salad but I think the basics are bread, cheese and vegemite. A little chopped bacon adds a savoury note. They make a great snack with hot soups such as tomato or cauliflower.

Serves: Makes 16

Ingredients

8 slices Vienna loaf, preferably 1-2 days old
Butter
Vegemite (or marmite)
1½ cups, lightly packed, grated cheddar
4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped (optional)

Method

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread bread slices with a little softened butter, mainly around the edges. Spread with a little Vegemite. Transfer bread slices to baking trays lined with baking (parchment) paper and sprinkle with cheese, then distribute the bacon over the top.

2 Bake mousetraps for about 20 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Cut each slice of bread in half, then cool on a rack. Serve immediately or store airtight.

Recipe Notes

Traditionally, mousetraps are made with thin slices of bread (sandwich slice). I live on an island and ‘sandwich’ bread is not always available (other weeks there will be no toast bread!), so I tried these with thicker bread. They are absolutely fine if eaten hot, but become chewy after cooling, then soft on storing.

I had another go with thinly sliced grainy bread (Vogel’s) and thought the result was good – crunchy but not brittle. Years ago, I made these with a white Vienna loaf, very thinly sliced (2-3 days old) and thought it produced mousetraps similar to those I had as a child.

Whether to spread with butter before spreading with vegemite is up to you – I liked it!