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E and I were just discussing slogans/taglines that have fallen out of use. Included in that discussion were “It’s the ‘X’ of the future, TODAY!”, and “Say so long to whatever persnickety, household problem was being addressed by said wonder product of the new age!”, oh and of course the ubiquitous “New and Improved”. I think another trope of the 80’s and 90’s ad market, specifically in food, was the “baked right in” concept. Be it cheese, or some other flavor, or just plain, old “goodness”. If it could be baked right into the product, rather than having to be added at a later time, well that’s just common sense.
So because I am clearly a child of the 80’s/90’s I will abide by the rules of my generation and give you a cracker where the cheese is already in there. The difference with these though is they are homemade, so no weird dyes, preservatives, or otherwise nasty little chemical ingredients. Also, and maybe more importantly – they taste so so so so good. These crackers make a fine midday snack, but they really shine alongside a crisp glass of rosé on a summer afternoon. Oh, and they feature everything bagel spice, which as you know I hold in high esteem.
Say hello to the cracker of the future…today! Or something.
Cheddar Everything Crackers
- June 22, 2018
- 40
- 40 min
- Print this
Ingredients
- 1 C all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 4 T cold, unsalted butter
- cut into small cubes
- ½ C sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ C pecorino romano cheese, grated
- ¼ C half and half
- 2 T Everything Bagel Spice
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Step 2
- In a food processor, add flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne (if using). Pulse to combine.
- Step 3
- Add butter and pulse until it is evenly distributed in the flour, and no large chunks remain. It should look slightly sandy in texture. This took me about 15 one second pulses.
- Step 4
- Add cheddar and pecorino and pulse three or four more times.
- Step 5
- With the machine running, add the half in half in a steady stream. The dough will not come together into a ball, but it will hold together without crumbling when squeezed in your palm. If it doesn’t, add more half and half a teaspoon at a time.
- Step 6
- Dump half the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Squeeze it together with your hands until a cohesive ball forms.
- Step 7
- Using a lightly floured pin, roll the dough to 1/16 inch thickness.
- Step 8
- Trim edges if you’d like and using a sharp knife, cut out crackers.
- Step 9
- Prick each cracker with a fork a few times.
- Step 10
- Brush lightly with half and half and sprinkle Everything Bagel spice evenly over the surface.
- Step 11
- Transfer crackers, still on the parchment paper, to a sheet pan.
- Step 12
- Repeat rolling and cutting with the remaining dough (feel free to re-roll any trimmed edges).
- Step 13
- Bake crackers for 20 – 25 minutes, or until light, golden brown.
- Step 14
- Cool crackers completely (they will crisp up as they sit) and store in an airtight container.
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