How happy am I munching my way through these golden beauties?!
Cheese Crackers!
Cheese, cheese and more cheese happen to be staple food for my family, so of course are any cheesy flavored cracker. And just to note, my children have given their two thumbs up and a smile to this recipe so they are definitely a keeper!
I don’t know about you, but I can seriously empty a box of Cheez Its or Gold Fish! I actually have to hide them from the kids (and myself) so they will last a bit longer than just for one afternoon snack. And these Cheese Crackers were incredibly difficult to keep for more than one afternoon!
So here it is, a homemade version of the beloved Cheez Its. They are so amazing and full of yummy cheddar flavor. A great snack for the kids and not to mention a bit addictive in that “mindlessly reaching for another” kind of way.
They are so addictive and tasty that while I was taking photos, that pile of Cheese Crackers kept getting smaller and smaller…it was so difficult to keep my paws out of them. Needless to say, I did manage to get some shots (barely) and can now share them with you.
For this recipe I used a medium cheddar cheese, but feel free to switch it out for mild or sharp cheddar or even a blend of cheeses. Add some herbs too for a variation that might compliment a certain meal or appetizer. Make them to your taste and your style and Enjoy!
As I mentioned in my recent post for the Chicken Mushroom and Leek Cobbler, I have an absolutely favorite way to make pastry…my trick is to freeze the butter and the box grater overnight (or for several hours). I find this easier than using a pastry blender. Of course you can freeze it and grate it using the food processor, but if you can keep that pastry colder for longer, the results will show with a flakier crumb/crust. Give it a try!
Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- ½ stick 4 Tbls unsalted Butter, frozen then grated
- 8 oz Cheddar Cheese grated (I used medium, you can use sharp, mild or a blend of cheese)
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp Sweet Paprika
- ¼ tsp dry Mustard Powder
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 2 - 3 Tbls Ice Water
Instructions
Freeze the butter and box grater for at least 2 hours or over night.
- In large bowl, add the Flour, Salt, Paprika, Mustard Powder and Pepper and mix.
- Grate in the frozen butter and then grate in your cheese and toss around in flour to coat.
- Add in 2 Tablespoons of the Ice Water and knead it into the flour, pressing it through until it starts to come together to form a ball. If it is still too dry, then add in the 1 Tablespoon. Do not add in to much water or you may end up with more of a biscuit like cracker instead.
- On lightly floured surface, place your dough and continue to knead until ingredients are well incorporated.
- Wrap ball of dough in plastic wrap and fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Pre-heat oven to 375F. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On floured surface, roll out the refrigerated dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick or less and approximately 10 x12 rectangle.
- With a pastry cutter or pizza wheel, cut into 1 inch squares (it's like making a grid). With a toothpick poke each square with 1 hole in the middle (this is to keep them from puffing up too much)
- Transfer to baking sheet. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes in 375F pre-heated oven until starting to puff on edges and are just browning. (Do not over cook, they can burn very quickly if you are not paying attention).
- Allow to cool. Enjoy.
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