Before we get to today’s NYT Mini crossword hints, clues and answers, here are Thursday’s:

Wondering what miso paste is made from? Not sure what feed fillers might be? Don’t worry, because I’m here to help you with extra hints and the answers for today's NYT Mini crossword.

The NYT Mini is a quick and dirty version of the newspaper's larger and long-running crossword. Most days, there are between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, but the puzzles are sometimes larger, especially on Saturdays.

Unlike its larger sibling, the NYT Mini crossword is free to play on the New York Times website or NYT Games app. However, you’ll need an NYT Games subscription to access previous puzzles in the archives.

Here are extra hints and the official NYT Mini Crossword clues and answers for Friday, June 27:

Spoilers lie ahead, so remember to scroll slowly:

1 Across: The middle parts of the front side of your hands

6 Across: Singers Billy and Frank

7 Across: Hermit crab’s home

8 Across: Ripped a hole

9 Across: Used to make a type of dairy-free milk

1 Down: Social media updates

2 Down: Noise often linked with an allergic reaction

3 Down: Apprehensive; feeling suspicious

4 Down: Like rams, stags and bulls

5 Down: Lorne Michaels’ most famous creation

1 Across: Beach trees – PALMS

6 Across: Beach view – OCEAN

7 Across: Beach keepsake – SHELL

8 Across: Removed, as wrapping paper – TORE

9 Across: What miso paste is made from – SOY

1 Down: Feed fillers – POSTS

2 Down: Sound before a blessing – ACHOO

3 Down: Cautious – LEERY

4 Down: Like seahorses that give birth – MALE

5 Down: Show for Sarah Silverman and Sarah Sherman, for short – S.N.L.

It took me 0:46 to complete today's NYT Mini.

I am annoyed with myself over this one! I was so close to a very fast time.

The beach clues were all easy, and I correctly guessed TORE. But SOY slipped my mind for a moment. I didn’t get the POSTS clue at all at first (I realized much later it refers to social media posts that fill feeds on apps), and had no idea what letter might go after “post” given that clue, so I figured I had to have made a mistake somewhere.

I took a beat to look around the grid. MALE and S.N.L. were obviously correct, and I soon realized my self-doubt was unfounded after I got ACHOO and LEERY.

That’s the end of my current NYT Mini stint. See you all in two weeks!

Make sure to follow my blog for more coverage of the NYT Mini and other word games, as well as video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Want to chat about the Mini, Connections and other NYT games? Join my Discord community! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter!