From the menu of -- Alon's Bakery & Market

-- Janis Luepke, Sandy Springs

A. Alon Balshan sent us this recipe reminiscent of traditional Southern cheese wafers but with a distinctly gourmet twist. The crisps are offered at the original bakery in Atlanta's Morningside neighborhood, which opened in 1992, as well as at the Dunwoody location, which opened in 2008. Balshan notes the crisps are perfect as a nibble for cocktail parties. He says to match the crisps at the bakery, be sure to use imported Gruyère aged for at least one year.

He suggests carefully checking the crisps as they bake. Each oven is different; cooking times may vary and home ovens often have hot spots. You’re looking for an even golden brown color, which may require you to rotate your pans within the oven. Undercooked, the crisps won’t be crisp; they’ll be soft and chewy instead.

Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put "From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.

Alon’s Bakery’s Gruyère Walnut Crisps

Hands on: 10 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes plus chilling time

Makes: 112 crisps

To toast the walnuts, heat a heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Add walnuts and stir frequently until the nuts start to turn golden brown and release their fragrance, about 4 minutes. If you wish, just before slicing and baking, brush the log with a beaten egg white and roll it in your choice of seeds. Balshan suggests trying sesame, fennel, caraway or cumin seeds, or the restaurant’s choice of poppy seeds.

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

3/4 pound Gruyère, grated

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter until just soft. Add Gruyère and salt and mix until just blended. Add flour and walnuts and blend until the mixture just holds together. Do not overmix. You can finish the dough by hand if needed.

Divide the dough into two portions and roll each into a log about 14 inches long. Wrap the logs in waxed paper or foil and refrigerate for at least four hours. May also be frozen and thawed before baking.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.

Slice log into 1/4-inch slices and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Bake about 12 minutes or until crisps are evenly golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Per crisp: 39 calories (percent of calories from fat, 63), 1 gram protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 3 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 7 milligrams cholesterol, 29 milligrams sodium.