Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Make Your Own: Cheez-its!



This is my first experiment with making a brand name product from scratch. I searched online for a recipe for cheez-its and found it on goodfoodstories. With suggestions from others, instead of using the full 4 T of butter, I used 3 T of butter and 1 T of vegetable shorthening. The shortening is supposed to make the crackers nice and crispy. And let me tell you, they were crispy and wonderful! They're dangerously addicting!

You will need:
  • 8 oz. sharp cheddar, grated
  • 3 T of unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1 T. of vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 C. flour
  • 2 T of ice water
  • Coarse salt for sprinkling
It's ok if you don't have a food processor. You can use a mixer too.

Method:

In a food processor, combine cheese, butter, shortening and salt. Pulse couple times. Then add the flour in two batches and process until crumbly. 


Slowly add the ice water. You may have to add few more drops of water for the dough to come together.

Divide the dough in two and form a disk. Wrap them with saran wrap and let them rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 F. On a parchment paper, roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 1 inch square using a pizza cutter, pastry wheel, or a knife. Use a toothpick to poke a hole in each square.


Separate the squares and place them onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle some coarse salt on them. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they're puffed and golden brown on the edges. Let them cool on the cookie sheet.

You can  pair them with your favorite wine or just snack on them when you've got the munchies! :-) 
Enjoy and happy baking!

Nom nom nom.


3 comments:

  1. Aww... i really like the picture of the mouse :) Those look yummy!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great idea! I love home made crackers, but have never tried these. They look fabulous! Great job on them:)

    ReplyDelete