Cheddar Crackers...

These crackers were made with 100% whole wheat...

Cheddar Crackers...Reminiscent of Goldfish Crakers(or Cheez-it) Did you know that you can make Goldfish Crackers at home? Well, I came across this recipe posted at Savory Seasonings. Emily has a wonderful blog with so much useful information. She is amazing! Go check it out sometime. I was so excited to see her post a recipe for Goldfish crackers! I enjoyed munching on Goldfish crackers when I was younger. They were cripsy, cheesy and full of air pockets. I loved to bite into them and split them open. Just loved the cracker... But to make the Goldfish crackers at home?! You got to be kidding me! Of course, I decided to try them out for myself. They were incredible... crispy, buttery, cheese-flavored crackers. It instantly brought back fond memories of me eating them while in college, studying for an exam, and munching away:). These crackers tasted just like the Goldfish crackers I knew... maybe better. I decided to split the recipe in 2. I made one like the original, with white flour. The other half, I substituted whole wheat flour for the white flour. You couldn't really tell too much of a difference. The color of the whole wheat cracker was a bit darker and maybe they weren't as "puffy". I still would recommend them if you want to make the whole wheat version. They are just as delicious.

The directions for the recipe has you roll out the dough in a sheet pan and then cut them in squares. I like to roll out my dough between parchment and/or wax paper(This helps me to get them as close to 1/8 th of an inch thick as possible) I usually just take a chunk of dough and roll it out. I cut the shapes and place them on the pan. I continue to do that until I use all the dough. This way I have neat crackers.... But, if you don't care how they look, you can just follow the original directions and they will still be delicious. I chose to use a square and a triangle cutter for my crackers. But if you have a fish cutter, that would be ideal. In case you want them to look like the fish crackers, you can make your own fish cutter by going HERE. It is pretty cool, they show you how to make a fish cutter out of cans. Pretty ingenious! These crackers would definitely be a fun activity to make with your kids. Give them a try, I think you will like them. Hope you enjoy....

Tip: If you find yourself having worked on rolling out the dough for too long.... you might want to place the rolled out crackers in the fridge for a bit before baking. This will firm up the butter/cheese in the dough... and they will bake up crispier. Baking the crackers when the dough is too soft( from sitting on the counter too long) can result in greasy crackers as the butter and cheese can melt out.

~ To avoid greasy crackers, make sure your oven is preheated and hot... then bake the crackers.

You will need: inspired by Savory Seasonings and adapted from Country Living

1 cup all-purpose flour(can use whole wheat for healthier alternative)

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper (optional)

4 TBSP cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

8 ounces grated cheddar cheese( I ran out of cheddar, so I substituted about 2 oz Monterey Jack)

3-4 TBSP water

Directions:

Pulse the flour, salt and pepper, then add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add grated cheese a little at a time until the mixture again resembles coarse meal.

Pulse in 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms into a ball. It will probably take a minute or so.

Remove, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. I left mine overnight. This way the butter has time to solidify and I think makes for puffier crackers.

Roll the dough out to 1/8th-inch thickness directly onto a baking sheet. You don't want to roll them paper thin, neither do you want to roll them too thick. If they are too thin, they will not puff up as much. If they are too thick, they will not be as crispy.

Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut 1 inch squares,...I like to use cookie cutters/shapes. I noticed the square crackers don't keep their square shape as much. Some do and some don't ...Some form into diamond shapes as it bakes. The dough sort of shrinks and puffs up. But that is ok. I liked the triangles better, so I did more of those.

Bake at 350° F for 15-20 minutes or until crackers are golden brown. Watch them after the 10 minute mark.