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Cheese Crackers

Source of Recipe

From "Saveur: The New Classics" by Weldon Owen


Recipe Introduction

"In Charleston, South Carolina, tins of these savory little homemade crackers are a popular hostess gift, usually to be served with cocktails. The better-quality the cheese you use, the better the crackers will be."

List of Ingredients

◦ � cup unsalted butter, softened
◦ 6 ounces sharp white cheddar, grated on small holes of a box grater (about 1 � cups)
◦ � cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
◦ 1 � cups flour
◦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
◦ � teaspoon cayenne pepper


Recipe

Put butter into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Add cheeses and beat well. Sift flour, salt, and cayenne together into another bowl. Using your hands, quickly work flour mixture into butter mixture without overworking the dough. If dough remains crumbly, stir in 2 tablespoons ice water. Gather dough into a ball. Quarter dough, shape each piece into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Heat oven to 450� F. Roll out one piece of dough on a floured surface to 1⁄16-inch thickness. Using a 1 �-inch round cookie cutter, cut out about 30 rounds and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about � inch apart. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Bake crackers until puffed and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer crackers to a clean paper bag or paper towels to let cool completely. Crackers will keep in an airtight container for up to one month.

Makes about 10 dozen crackers