Homemade Cheese Crackers - YUMMO!

There are a few versions of this floating around the net, but I added and changed a few things to suit our tastes. This recipe is awesome for a lot of reasons. First, by making your own snackies versus serving Goldfish, or even the organic bunny shaped crackers, you are eliminating all of those crazy ingredients that you can't pronounce. Everything in this recipe is a pantry staple! Second, this is a chance to bring your kids into the kitchen and get them involved in the process, and interested in the food that they eat. What kiddo can resist tiny cookie cutters?!

Here's what you will need:

1 cup flour (I used white whole wheat)
4 Tbs butter, kept cold and cut into chunks (if using salted butter, omit the salt below)
1 tsp salt
2 cups sharp cheddar or other flavorful cheese, shredded (keep in mind that the more flavorful your cheese choice, the more flavor your crackers will have, so aim for one with a bite!)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp baking powder
3-5 Tbs cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I started with a block of cheese, so I began by shredding my chedda' in the food processor ... (I made a double batch, so keep that in mind when my ingredients look disproportionate to what is written above. Since I have five kids and a snack-obsessed husband, one batch of anything just doesn't cut it!)

Next, set the cheese aside and combine the flour, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, baking powder, and pepper in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse them a few times, just to combine.

Add in the butter and cheese, and pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Once your mixture is crumbly, add in the water, one tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball.

Remove your dough ball from the food processor and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator to rest for 45 minutes or so (I tossed mine in the freezer for 15 minutes instead. I'm impatient like that.)

Once your dough ball has had a chance to chill, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, until it is approximately 1/8 inch thick.

At this point you can decide what shape you would like for your crackers. If you are working without small helpers you could certainly use a pizza cutter or knife to simply make small squares, similar to a Cheez It. I took the kids to Hobby Lobby and let them choose these fun little cutters.

Bake your shapes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for 15-25 minutes, depending on the size and shape you chose. The crackers are done when the edges are slightly golden and the crackers are crisp! Allow the little guys to cool, and then store them in a tightly sealed container for up to a week or so.

Our entire family was REALLY impressed with the ease of the recipe, and everyone loves the taste! They have just the right amount of cheesy flavor, and are obsessively snackable!