Daring Bakers' Challenge: Homemade Crackers
Ingredients:
- Cheez-its:
- 1 cup flour
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (this actually makes a world of difference and is delicious)
- Several tablespoons of cold water
- Cheddar, Rosemary, and Walnut Icebox Crackers:
- 1/2 cup butter, well softened
- 2 1/4 grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teasopon salt
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnut
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
Instructions:
- Cheez-its:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine all ingredients through the cayenne pepper in a food processor and pulse until crumbly.
- Add the water, one tablespoon at a time until a dough forms. I used about 4 tablespoons of water in total, but you can use your judgment for this.
- Roll the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Store in the freezer for half an hour so that it will be easier to roll out.
- Take the dough out of the freezer and place it between two pieces of wax paper. Roll the dough out into a large sheet about 1/8-inch thick. I got really frustrated with the rolling part of this and ended up making them about 1/4 inch thick so I have giant cheez-its. It works either way.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and transfer your rolled out dough to the sheet. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into little squares. Sprinkle with salt and split the squares apart so that they are not touching.
- Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy. If you made them thicker like I did, just keep an eye on them and take them out when they are crunchy.