Homemade Cheesy Crackers – easy and delicious cheese crackers with walnuts for the perfect crunch.
What I’m about to say may shock you: I prefer salty snacks over sweet. Sure, I make cupcakes, brownies, and cookies most days but given the choice, I’d take a handful of crackers over any of those. Especially these amazing homemade cheddar crackers.
I’ve made crackers a handful of times but never anything like these. These crackers are buttery and cheesy and have just a hint of spice from the cayenne. The nuts provided a bit of sweetness that really just put them over the top. I know it’s a big statement to make but I’m pretty sure these are the best crackers ever – not surprising considering they come from the Tartine cookbook though, right?
Easy to make, baked up quickly, the only thing that will slow you down is the chill time. I suggest going to the kitchen and mixing up the dough right now. You won’t regret it.
Cheddar Crackers
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ⅓ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a wooden spoon or your hands in a large bowl), combine the cheese and butter and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix in the walnuts on low speed. The dough should be fairly stiff, with small chunks of cheese and walnut visible.
- Transfer the dough to parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap well and freeze until hard, about 2 hours. Or, gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.
- Unwrap the log and cut crosswise into slices ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. If you have shaped the dough into a disk, unwrap, place on a flour work surface, and roll out into a square or rectangle ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-inch squares, 1-by-2-inch rectangles, or whatever shape you like. Arrange the crackers on the prepared pan, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Bake the crackers until golden brown on the edges and lighter in the center, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on size and thickness. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 195Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 320mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 7g
Dea says
I just made these and they turned out absolutely delicious! Thank you for posting it! I made exactly as described, but let it chill for 3hrs.
amanda says
I’m not sure why that is happening. Here is a blog post with the recipe and step by step photos: http://www.foodmayhem.com/2009/08/cheddar-cheese-crackers.html. I don’t see a mistake in my write-up but there very well may be. I’m really sorry it happened! :(
Candace Karu says
I’m with you…savory snacks are the best. And these cheddar crackers look incredible. Can’t wait to try them!
delilah says
I love these! we made them in Garde Manger class this week, they are in our book!
Kim LeS says
Perhaps I put too much cheese in. I grated it and sort of eyeballed it. In the melted pool it was really oily. Maybe it just couldn’t hold together. I definately want to try again – just for the challenge of it.
sab says
i’m exactly the same, i’d rather have a salty snack rather than a sweet one..a and theses crackers are jsut so tempting….
.-= sab´s last blog ..et si je ne revenais paset le traumatisme de mon expérience dalimentation 100 plats préparés!!! =-.
the urban baker says
I have made these and they are so dangerous! I could not stop eating them. I make extra dough, roll it into a log and freeze it. I love this recipe!
.-= the urban baker´s last blog ..Peach Tea Cakes – For One =-.
Michelle says
I made these and they melted into a pool in the oven too. I froze for a couple hours. Maybe my butter was too soft to begin with? I cut the big, flat mass into squares while it was still hot, so they may still turn out- I’ll have to see what they are like when they cool down! They still taste good. Very cheesy. I’ve had the same problem with some freeze, slice and bake cookie log recipes. Maybe I just have bad luck!
amanda says
I usually have problems with the slice and bake cookies too so I was very excited when these turned out. I’m sorry you had problems. :( I’m really stumped now.
Steve G says
How thick did you cut them? If you cut them pretty thin, they won’t spread very far. These crackers DO spread as they bake, so leave space between them in the pan, and then they firm up once they cool.
Sarah says
God, these look so amazing. I also prefer salty over sweet and would choose it any day.
KimLes says
I made these and they just melted away in the oven :(
Maybe I used too much cheese and not enough walnuts? Any suggestions? They melted in a pool. I cut the second batch thicker and the same thing happened.
amanda says
The only thing I can think of is that maybe they weren’t cold enough. I let mine sit in the freezer for probably half a day before I baked them and had no problems. If you try again, maybe freeze, slice, and then freeze again to make sure they’re good and cold. Do you have an oven thermometer? If the oven’s not getting hot enough, that might cause them to melt instead of bake.
I’m sorry they didn’t work out. :(
Cookie says
I’ve made similar crackers with parmesan and blue cheese and can’t wait to try the cheddar version!
Amanda @ Baking w/o a box says
Oh these look good! And with cayenne for a kick!
Karen says
These sound and look so good… I’m printing the recipe and will try them soon!
.-= Karen´s last blog ..Brandied Cherries =-.
Kim says
These crakers looks amazing! It’s so cool, I just received the Tartine’s book this morning! This recipe is probably going to be the first one I’ll try from the book!
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Pancakes au yogourt- coulis de fraises =-.