Home>> Homemade Cheez-Its

If you plan on driving for your holiday road trip you’ll want to find some good snacks to eat in the car. It’s best to have something that’s easy to grab and quick to eat. Instead of going to the store and buying all sorts of processed food, try this savory homemade cheez-it recipe from Taste of Home and have the best road trip possible!

INGREDIENTS

This recipe makes 12-14 dozen crackers.

• 8 ounces cheddar cheese (about 3 cups grated)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons ice-cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 egg, optional
• Flaky sea salt, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a food processor, pulse the cheese until finely grated. The cheese may have some larger clumps, but that’s OK. They will break up as the butter gets worked into the dough later.
2. Transfer the cheese to a bowl with the flour, cornstarch, paprika, mustard powder and salt. Stir until combined.
3. Next, using a pastry blender (or a fork), cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add the cold water and use your hands to gently work it into the dough until it starts to clump and hold together.
5. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Pat into a flattened disk (about 1 inch thick), then wrap tightly in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and roll out, using a rolling pin, on a lightly floured work surface. Roll until the dough is less than 1/8-inch thick. The thinner, the better!
7. Use a fluted pastry wheel, pizza cutter or sharp knife to trim the rolled dough into a neat square. Then, slice into 1-inch-wide strips before making perpendicular slices across the strips to create 1-inch squares. Feel free to re-roll the scraps to make sure you don’t waste any of this cheese cracker dough.
8. Transfer the squares to parchment-lined baking sheets. Then use a toothpick or skewer to poke a hole through the center of each. If desired, brush the crackers with a little beaten egg wash to give them some shine.
9. Sprinkle the crackers lightly with flaky sea salt (here’s why it’s the best type of salt for these crackers), then bake for 15-18 minutes, until crisp and golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before serving. For extra toasty Cheez-Its, let them bake for 20-22 minutes—just keep an eye on them, so they don’t burn.