Copycat Snacks: Cheesy Cheez-It Crackers
A fairly close replication of Cheez-It crackers, customizable to be whatever shape and flavor you prefer.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Plastic Wrap
- Cooling Rack
- Rubber Spatula
- Pizza Cutter Or knife; something to cut the dough.
Ingredients
- 8 Oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese Coarsely Grated.
- 1 Cup Flour
- 3 Tbsp Butter Room Temp.
- 2 Tbsp Ice Water
- ½ Tsp Kosher Salt Optionally, plus more for topping.
- 2 Tbsp Oil Optional, to coat.
Instructions
- In your stand mixer, beat together the cheese and butter until creamy. You'll probably need to scrape it down several times to fully combine. This should take about five minutes.
- Add in the salt. Gradually mix in the flour bit by bit, mixing constantly, until the dough is sandy-looking.
- Gradually add in ice water about 1 Tsp at a time, until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough into two portions. Flatten them into thick discs and wrap them with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Working with about a third of a dough disc at a time, lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the dough flat, as thin as you can. At least ⅛th of an inch thick, if not thinner. The thinner you roll it, the less puffy the resulting crackers will be. Keep excess dough chilled when not working with it.
- Cut your crackers into squares about an inch to a side, or slightly longer, as you prefer. The rough edges of the dough can be re-balled, re-rolled, and re-cut until you've used up all of the dough.
- Using a skewer or chopstick, poke a hole in the center of the cracker squares. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the crackers on it, leaving a tiny bit of space between them. They don't spread, so don't worry much as long as they aren't touching.
- (OPTIONAL) For a more "authentic" Cheez-It, brush the crackers with a bit of oil and sprinkle kosher salt lightly across them. They're fine without it, though, if you want to cut down on the salt.
- Bake each batch for 14 or so minutes, or until they look golden and crispy. Once done, move to a cooling rack ASAP to cool down. Repeat the process until you've baked all the dough.