Family Favorites...Cheddar Cheese Crackers

  I had two versions of the recipe for Cheese Crackers that are supposed to taste like Cheez-its. In the end I went with the version from PBS Broadcasting. They had what I thought was the best ratio of cheese to flour and contained some cornstarch.

  Well, I am glad I did. These according to my tasters rank right up there. All ready they are asking for more. I am going to tell you that they are not hard to make, but time consuming. I don’t know that I want to make them again, but I am afraid I am outvoted. Good thing they are really not that hard to make. 

  I worked with half of the dough at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated. I saved the scraps and kept them cold and at the end rerolled the left over dough. They came out just as good as the first ones. These are light, flakey, and crisp. Don’t know how long they will keep as there are none left. 

  I used my hand rasp to grate the cheese. This gave me the best texture after I tried other ways. The food processor wasn’t fine enough and my box grater was too fine. The rasp worked well and was the quickest. Do use a good grade of cheddar cheese. If you are going to this much work, you need to use the best ingredients you can. Cheese is the main ingredient in these crackers. I used Kraft Cracker Barrel extra sharp and real butter. Cheddar is the cheese that will taste the most like Cheez-it's. I didn’t sprinkle the tops with any extra salt. They were just fine without any more salt. Do use the pepper though as it adds to the taste. I borrowed Sue's pasta cutter to cut these. Don't they look nice? Much faster than cutting them in strips one at a time.

Cheddar Cheese Crackers

2 to 3 tablespoons cold water 

6 ounces (1½ cups) finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
 1½ teaspoon salt (divided)
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch

  Using stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine cheese, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper until combined and starting to stick to sides of mixing bowl, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cornstarch and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix until dough ball forms, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon water if needed. Transfer dough to floured counter and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (Make into a rectangle shape).
  Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375° Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap dough onto well floured counter and roll to 1/16 inch thickness. Cut into 1-inch squares using beveled-edge ravioli cutter. Using the blunt end of a skewer, poke a hole in the center of each square. Transfer to baking sheets. They do not spread, so you can put them close together.

  Sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt if desired. Bake until golden brown 12 to 18 minutes, 12 minutes was just right in my oven. Let cool on baking sheets for a few minutes and then on wire racks. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, (If you have any to store).