Southern Cheese Crackers, spicy
These from-scratch cheese crackers are spicy, buttery, and totally addicting!
We love when fellow food bloggers release new cookbooks, so we were thrilled to get a copy of the Add a Pinch cookbook a little while back. If you don’t already follow Robyn’s blog, Add a Pinch, run over there immediately! She shares some of the most memorable recipes – a combination of sweet and savory, and a lot of Southern-inspired recipes, which we love. Everything looks so cozy and approachable; so when she wrote her first cookbook, we couldn’t wait to check it out.
Every single recipe is mouth-watering, but it was no surprise that our first stops were the appetizers and desserts, and well, butter and cheese? We didn’t need to go far!
Let’s talk about these cheese crackers, because they were here and gone in the blink of an eye, which means you’re probably going to LOVE them!
A number of years ago, we made from-scratch cheez-its, which were absolutely phenomenal. So, when we opened up Robyn’s new cookbook, the southern cheese crackers jumped off the page at us. Once we saw how much cayenne was in the recipe, we knew our husband would love them.
These are spicy, to be sure, so if you like things with a little bit less of a kick, feel free to decrease or omit the cayenne. We photographed these on Saturday and they ended up being our lunch (oops!)… we COULD NOT STOP eating them!
On Sunday, we put them out in a bowl for our Sunday dinner crowd. Everyone raved about them and after everyone left, we went to eat a handful and saw… crumbs. Always a sure sign that a recipe is a winner!
If the butter and cheese doesn’t have you convinced yet, you can make this dough wayyyy in advance and have it waiting in the fridge or freezer for whenever you have a cheesy cracker craving. Bust out that grater!
One year ago: Baking Basics: Flour 101
Spicy Southern Cheese Crackers
Yield: 48 to 60 crackers These from-scratch cheese crackers are spicy, buttery, and totally addicting!- 8 ounces (226.8 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- ½ cup (113.5 g) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) garlic powder
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the cheese and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the salt, cayenne, black pepper, and garlic powder. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour ½ cup at a time, until the ingredients are well combined and a dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and shape it into a 1-inch-diameter log. Twist the ends of the parchment or plastic wrap to seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place on a cutting board. Cut the log into ⅛-inch-thick slices and place ¼ inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the crackers to cool completely. The crackers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- If the dough seems to stiff or dry, gradually add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water until it reaches the right consistency.
- You can store the unbaked cracker dough in the refrigerator for up to 1 week before baking. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months - just place the wrapped dough in a resealable freezer bag.
- Yield: 48 to 60 crackers
- Prep: 45 minutes
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Total: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ( 226.8 g ) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- ½ cup ( 113.5 g ) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ( 0.13 teaspoon ) garlic powder
- 1½ cups ( 187.5 g ) all-purpose flour
Method
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the cheese and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the salt, cayenne, black pepper, and garlic powder. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour ½ cup at a time, until the ingredients are well combined and a dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and shape it into a 1-inch-diameter log. Twist the ends of the parchment or plastic wrap to seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place on a cutting board. Cut the log into ⅛-inch-thick slices and place ¼ inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the crackers to cool completely. The crackers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
If the dough seems to stiff or dry, gradually add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water until it reaches the right consistency.
You can store the unbaked cracker dough in the refrigerator for up to 1 week before baking. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months - just place the wrapped dough in a resealable freezer bag.
