homemade cheez-it cheese crackers

It's my husband's birthday and since I never know what to get him, I always try and make him something special. I mean really, who complains when they receive a gift that is edible???

Possibly one of my husband's favorite sweets is a No Bake Cheesecake with blueberry sauce and hands down for a savory snack it's Cheez-Its. He flew on a red-eye last night and as he was flying in the friendly skies, I was in the kitchen whipping up his birthday presents. 

This is actually the second time I've ever made homemade Cheez-Its because frankly it's just easier to go out and buy a box. But since I was desperate for a gift for my hubby, Cheez-its were made.....

Homemade Cheez-It Cheese Crackers

adapted from the recipe found on Chicagoist 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus another 1/2 teaspoon for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika 

8 ounces grated cheddar cheese ***I used what I had in my frig - a combination of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and a hard aged Gouda.***

4 tablespoons unsalted butter - cold and cut into cubes

2 - 3 tablespoons ice cold water

In a bowl of a food processor, pulse to combine -  flour, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, dry mustard powder, cayenne pepper and paprika. Add the grated cheese and pulse 3 - 4 times. Drop in the cubed butter and pulse a few more times until the mixture looks crumbly. Add the ice cold water one tablespoon at a time. The dough will look moist and will hold it's shape when pinched together. Dumb the moist cheesy clusters onto a piece of plastic wrap, gather it together and gently press it into a disk. Wrap the dough up and place it in the frig for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350°.

Cut your disk of dough in half. On a lightly floured surface roll your dough out to 1/8 inch thick. 

Using a fluted pizza wheel or a plain old knife, cut into small 1 inch squares. A straight edge or a ruler helps with keeping the crackers square. 

Using the blunt side of a wooden skewer poke a hole in the center of each cracker. 















Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Transfer your crackers onto your parchment lined baking sheet and repeat steps with the other half of dough.

Bake your crackers for 25 - 30 minutes. Rotating halfway through baking. All ovens are different so your baking time will vary. Remove from oven and cool completely. ***One of my sheets of crackers came out soft after baking and cooling. I turned my oven on again and baked them for an additional 3 -5 minutes. Keeping my eye on them so that they didn't burn.***

Homemade Cheez-Its can be stored in an airtight container for a few weeks. That's if they last that long.