Easy, Cheesy Hors d’oeuvres Crackers
I have to admit I don’t do a ton of savory baking and every now and then, such as when I make these classic hors d’oeuvres cheddar cheese crackers, I scratch my head and wonder why the hell not?
These are quick to make and as addictive as a Cheez-It! Seriously. Better even because they are so buttery.
You can leave out the cayenne if you like, but it adds a bit of zip and zing without making these too spicy.
Cheddar Cheese Crackers
Author: Dédé Wilson
Makes: Makes about 4 dozen 3-inch cookies
Ingredients
- 1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar (we like orange colored cheddar)
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
Instructions
- Grate cheese in food processor using grater disc (either coarse or fine). Switch to multi-purpose blade. Add butter and yolk and process until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until just combined. Scrape soft dough onto large piece of plastic, wrap well, flatten slightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to ⅛-inch thickness and cut out with cookie cutters (we used 3-inch leaf shapes). Place on prepared pans evenly spaced apart leaving 1-inch between crackers.
- Bake for about 15 to 20 min; adjust time for different sized crackers. The crackers should be a little puffed, beginning to color and there might be a little cheese and butter oozing out and bubbling slightly along the bottom edges. Cool pan completely on rack. Crackers may be stored for up to 4 days at room temperature in airtight containers.
Bakepedia Tips
- This dough freezes well. Consider rolling the dough into logs about 2-inches in diameter, then wrap logs in plastic wrap and then place in heavy zip-top bags. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in refrigerator overnight. Slice into 1/8-inch rounds and bake as suggested above. Watch the timing.
- Flavored crackers: roll the logs in your choice of herbs and/or spices, such as thyme, rosemary or black pepper or in sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Slice and bake as described above.
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