Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper optional
- 4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter but into small cubes
- 8 ounces grated cheddar
- 3 –4 Tbsp cold water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, salt and pepper and pulse 2 or 3 times to mix.
- Add cold butter cubes and pulse until the flour mix looks like coarse cornmeal.
- A bit at a time, add the grated cheese and continue pulsing, again until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
- One tablespoon at a time, add the water and pulse. The dough will form a ball and start riding the processor blade.
- Remove the dough mixture from the processor, form into a round and flatten, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface, and roll thinly, about 1/8".
- Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into 1" squares. Prick the crackers with a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Place into a preheated 350° oven for 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool crackers on a wire rack (if you can wait).
Notes
The above is the basic recipe. You can try different cheddar-like cheeses and different spice mixes as well. I made two batches, one with a blend of chili spices (chipotle, ancho and regular chili powders, paprika, garlic powder and a chili-lime salt blend I had on hand–about 2 teaspoons in all). You can vary this according to personal taste.
I started rolling on a wooden pastry board, then flipped the dough onto parchment to finish rolling and cutting, then transferred the parchment sheet to the baking pan. My crackers were just about an 1/8" thick.
I baked mine for 20 minutes and some crackers were still a bit soft. You do have to watch them since you don't want to them to overbake. They should look golden brown and somewhat puffy.
I started rolling on a wooden pastry board, then flipped the dough onto parchment to finish rolling and cutting, then transferred the parchment sheet to the baking pan. My crackers were just about an 1/8" thick.
I baked mine for 20 minutes and some crackers were still a bit soft. You do have to watch them since you don't want to them to overbake. They should look golden brown and somewhat puffy.