Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Cheesy, flaky and absolutely delicious crackers





I am always looking for the perfect addition to an ice cold martini or other beverage for "Happy Hour."  By the way, we have found that this special hour, when the neighbors come out their doors with drinks in hand is getting earlier and earlier.  Perhaps because the dark sets in so much earlier.  Perhaps because we are all retired and don't care about putting up appearances any more.

I think I have found it.  I stumbled across "In the Kitchen with Kath" and found this very simple, very easy and very tasty cracker recipe.  These cheesy crackers, (which, by the way) smell outstandingly delicious as they bake, are flaky and can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days..but, I really doubt they will last that long.

They do require a food processor and then this cracker can be started and to the enjoying with a drink part in less than one hour.  If you want to eat them warm, even less than that.  I would suggest that you use a food processor though.  I would think it would get a little discouraging trying to make this dough without one.

Cheese Crackers
 from In the Kitchen with Kath

Depending on the size you cut them, you can get 75 to 100 crackers

1 1/2 cups (6 oz) grated, extra sharp Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
3/4 cups flour, plus more for rolling out
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put everything except the milk in a food processor.  Pulse the processor 5 seconds at a time, for about 5-6 times, until the dough is in coarse crumbs.

Add the milk and process until the dough gathers together in a ball.

Roll the dough out on a floured board with a rolling pin that has been floured, until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick.

Cut the dough into 1 inch squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.  You can put a bit of flour on the blade of the knife to keep it from sticking.  Use the flat end of a wooden skewer, I used the rounded tip of a chopstick, to poke a hole in the center of each cracker.

Place the crackers at least 1/4 inch apart on parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.

Put the baking sheet on a rack and let the crackers cool completely.  Eat or store in a covered container to eat within a day or two.  ENJOY!!

22 comments:

  1. Great recipe; that extra sharp cheddar is perfect to get that taste. Must be fun to have happy hour outside; those days are over for a while for us...too cold.
    Rita

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  2. Susan, I am printing the recipe out right now and will give it a try - I can almost smell them...

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  3. These sound deliciously perfect to go with drinks whenever they are poured.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  4. They look delicious. Diane

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  5. Liebe Susan,
    ich habe mich sehr über deinen Besuch gefreut -

    die Cracker sehen so lecker aus, die können gar nicht lange halten , bei mir wären sie am gleichen Tag schon weg -
    eine Küchenmaschine hab ich leider nicht - liebäugel immer mal damit aber eine gute Maschine ist sehr teuer -
    dankeschön für das leckere Rezept

    ich wünsche dir eine wundervolle Zeit - ja ich finde auch, dass die Adventszeit hier in Deutschland wundervoll romantisch ist -

    liebe Grüße - Ruth

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  6. They look great, Susan! Perfect with a cocktail.

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  7. Yum. I'm afraid these wouldn't last long at my house.
    Sam

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  8. I made something similar a while back and they were delicious. Perfect little nibble for Happy Hour!

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  9. Anonymous8:18 PM

    I have always wanted to make cheese crackers and never done it. I am not sure why I am hesitant. I am hoping your recipe will motivate me.

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  10. Oh, gosh, I wouldn't be able to leave these alone...they look so delicious!!!

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  11. Wow, I've never eaten homemade crackers, I just buy them. These look delicious, and with cheese! Yummy! I see that you like Out of Africa. My daughter and I watched it just last thursday night on Italian TV...in Italian:) I'm following you from Rome, but I'm Sicilian and my husband is Japanese. Do you like La Traviata? It's my favorite opera. My daughter prefers the oldies but goodies, I brought her up on them. That's because I grew up in New York, in fact in High School we read Gone with the Wind, I loved it. We have the videocassette and we watch it over and over. I'm following you, we have many things in common:)

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  12. These look perfect to have stashed away to pull out over the next few weeks, YUM! Thanks Susan!

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  13. Susan,

    Nothing like an ice cold, very dry martini! I will try this recipe over the holidays when we have friends over.

    We are going to try Tampa Bay Brewing at some point too.

    Thanks for the recipe.

    Carol

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  14. They look delicious! I love a cheese-y cracker and flaky makes them all the better. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.

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  15. Susan, I'm always at a loss when it comes to making an appetizer for an upcoming gathering; not any more. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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  16. Certainly looks very tasty ;))

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  17. I love these crackers! Seriously. Hubs and I love our Happy Hours, and I certainly don't care about appearances. Fridays, the work clothes come off, the sweats go on, the booze gets poured and I think these crackers would be terrific!

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  18. Hi Susan...

    Just popping in to catch up on my blogging...been away for awhile, so much going on since Thanksgiving.

    Anyway, it's look very tasty over here. Hello to Trout! Miss you guys.

    Merry Christmas

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  19. I love a snack like this with a cocktail or glass of wine. If I made them I know I couldn't leave them alone.

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  20. Little Man and I love to share cheese-nips and I KNOW this will be sooooo much better! No comparison. Thank you for a recipe I will love sharing with my grandson! blessings ~ tanna

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  21. I can taste them, Susan, and with a nice cold martini... uhmmm. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  22. These look like one of my favourite snacking crackers!!

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