Tried It & Loved It: Cheese Crackers

My dear friend sent me this recipe awhile back.  She told me how much her family all loved them and I gave them a try soon after.  Let me tell you...they are fab. u. lous!!!  Plus, if you have a food processor, they are ridiculously easy!  I make mine with white whole wheat flour and they are still wonderful--and the Hubs and the Peanut love them too.  Although Peanut does tell me every time she eats them that they are "Bicy."  {Spicy}

And then she proceeds to demand her milk.  :)  However, she still always wants some when we eat them, so she must not mind too much. 

These are also a great alternative to those store bought cheese crackers--you know what's in them and they taste way better too.  My only complaint is that they are somewhat fragile--so these are more for serving at home--they definitely would not hold up being tossed in your big mom purse for an easy snack on the go.  (For this reason, I still do the organic cheese bunnies when we are out and about.)  



























Cheese Crackers ~ Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Cheese Straws 

1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In your food processor, combine cheese, butter, flour, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add whole milk and combine until mixture forms a ball.  This takes about 15-20 seconds in the food processor.  

Roll dough into a one inch log--mine was about 6-8 inches long.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 20 minutes.  Don't go too much longer--I did that the first time I made these and they don't slice too easy when the log is rock solid.  Twenty minutes is perfect.  Trust me.  

Remove cheese mixture from the freezer and slice log into slices about 1/4 inch thick.  Bake on a cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes, or until crackers just start to brown around edges.