Savory Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Somehow or other, I've had more kitchen disasters in the last few weeks than I have had in the past two years. First, there was a cornmeal shortbread that tempted me, and although the dough was delicious, it didn't hold together and into the trash can it went. After that, there were the little discs of goat cheese that I tried to fry up to serve with sautéed portabello mushrooms. It was all good until it was time to flip them over. I ended up with a glob of cheese, but I spread it over some toast and topped it with the mushrooms, and so managed to salvage dinner. Finally, we come to this recipe for savory cheese crackers.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was treated to a visit from my Dad this past weekend. On the afternoon he arrived, I decided I wanted to make a little snack. I was short on ingredients but had everything I needed for these crackers. Into the food processor went the dry ingredients, butter and cheese. At this point, I was supposed to have a dough to knead. Well, the mixture just resembled flour and little else. What went wrong, and what to do? Not wanting to waste cheese and butter, and still determined to make something for my Dad to enjoy, I threw in a couple of eggs, pulsed them a few times, and so I had a dough. I probably could have managed with just one egg, but no matter, as they ended up turning out well and the egg gave the crackers an extra richness and a slight crispiness. They are essentially a cross between a cracker and a savory cookie.

Savory Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on October 30, 2008 Delicious, crisp and buttery cheese crackers — easy to make, and a great snack or appetizer Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 to 35 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter 2 cups cold grated extra old Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup cold grated Parmesan cheese 2 eggs Instructions: Preheat an oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the flour, mustard, salt and cayenne in a food processor. Add the butter and cheeses and pulse until the mixture resemble coarse crumbs. Now add the eggs and pulse until you get a coarse dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead a few times. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll out each piece until it is about 1/8-inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter of your choice and transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with each portion of dough, and re-roll the scraps. Bake in batches for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature. Makes about 3 dozen crackers