Homemade Cheez-It Crackers

OK, it's confession time, I dearest Cheez-It crackers. I don't stock them inward the pantry (for obvious reasons), so when the urge ambushed me the other day, I was rattling happy to uncovering this slow recipe.

These crackers actually produce sense of savor a lot similar Cheez-It crackers, except fresher as well as to a greater extent than flavorful. They are quick to brand as well as receive got require ingredients I ever receive got inward my kitchen (a win-win for us since nosotros alive 10 miles out of town).

 

 

 

CHEEZ-IT CRACKERS

 

8 ounces extra SHARP cheddar cheese shredded (see authorities annotation below)

1 loving cup all utilization flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons UNSALTED butter (room temperature)

1 teaspoon tabular array salt (divided)

4 to vi tablespoons H2O ice water  (see authorities annotation below)

 

Put the shredded cheese as well as room temperature butter in your nutrient processor as well as give it a few pulses to blend.

 

Mix 1/2 teaspoon of tabular array salt as well as 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne into the flour, as well as thus sprinkle it over the cheese-butter mixture as well as pulse a few times until the mixture looks a piddling clumpy but good mixed.

 

Next, amongst the nutrient processor running, add together four tablespoons of the H2O ice water. Run the nutrient processor until the dough forms a ball, as well as thus stop. See tip below on the total of H2O to use

 

 

Divide the dough inward one-half as well as encompass and chill for xxx minutes.  Roll the dough rattling sparse (as sparse equally y'all tin teach it), similar a pie crust (1/8")or thinner (see authorities annotation below) and cutting into 1" squares.

 

 

 

Sprinkle squares remaining tabular array salt as well as poke a hole inward the centre of the square. Place squares on ungreased cookie canvass (they tin live pretty unopen together but non touching).

 

Bake inward preheated 400° for 10 to 12 minutes or till golden (see authorities annotation below). Remove crackers from baking canvass as well as cool them on a bakers rack (so air tin teach to both sides of the cracker). Cool to room temperature earlier eating them (they volition teach crisper equally they cool down).

 

TIPS:

This recipe actually needs extra sharp cheddar cheese as well as brand certain that y'all grate it yourself.  Commercially grated cheeses receive got a starch coating on them thus the shreds don't clump together. This starch coating actually effects how cheese melts (and tastes)

 

The recipe didn't country what form of tabular array salt to use, but I used a calorie-free sprinkling of kosher tabular array salt because it is large as well as flakey, but that's only my personal preference. On ane batch, I put salt on both sides of the cracker squares as well as it made them too salty  (well, the domestic dog didn't intend so, but nosotros did).

 

 This recipe calls for four to vi tablespoons of H2O ice water. When I made these, it took the total vi tablespoons, but as well as thus the total of H2O y'all utilization depends on the humidity of your flour, etc. etc. etc.  Just commencement amongst four tablespoons as well as and thus if the dough doesn't come upwards together nicely inward a ball, add together a piddling more.

 

This dough is extremely slow to ringlet out as well as doesn't cleft or intermission apart. Just brand certain y'all ringlet it VERY thin. No affair how sparse y'all ringlet them, they volition even thus puff upwards a piddling piece baking, thus proceed that inward mind. Just remember, the thinner y'all ringlet them, the crispier the cracker volition be.

 

And finally, the recipe says to bake them 10 to 12 minutes. I receive got the best luck cooking them for 10 minutes as well as thus switching to the broiler for the lastly xxx seconds. It gives them a wonderful golden crispy top.

 

If y'all receive got leftovers, shop them inward an airtight container.

 

ENJOY !!