One of my favorite snack crackers are Cheez Its. I love the cheesy, salty taste and the crisp bite. Lets be honest, I could eat the entire box in one sitting….don’t judge me. Last year while I was making a pre fixe menu for Harvest restaurant in Cambridge, I created a smoked tomato bisque. I wanted a functional garnish and right away thought cracker……but what kind? Cheez Its! My inspiration was a grilled cheese and tomato soup but more refined. The outcome was a smoky, creamy, salty soup with a crisp cheddar cracker almost identical to the beloved Cheez Its! Give them a try! You will not be disappointed.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour (feel free to use wheat flour for a healthier snack)
• 1/2 stick cold butter (this needs to be cold to create the flaky crunchy texture you know and love with these tasty crackers)
• 1 cup of sharp cheddar (use orange to mimic the color as well!)
• 1/2 tsp. piment d’ espellete (mild spice, feel free to substitute 1/8 tsp. cayenne)
• Ice Water (this helps bring the dough together…more or less depending on the dough’s consistency)
• Salt to taste, approximately 1/2 tsp.
• Smoked Sea Salt for garnish (the smoked salt really makes these special, but feel free to use a salt of your liking)

Step 1:

Combine all ingredients in food processor, except the ice water. Pulse the ingredients until the butter is broken down into pea size balls (Think pie dough) Slowly stream in a little ice water at a time until the dough forms a uniform ball.

Take the ball out of the processor and let chill for 1 hour.

Step 2:

Take out the cracker dough from the fridge and roll out to desired consistency. I used a fluted cutter and also poked a hole in the center of the cracker to really resemble the traditional look of the Cheez It. I sprayed the crackers with a touch of water and sprinkled a touch of smoked salt on top. Bake the snack crackers at 350 degrees until lightly golden brown and puffed up. Let cool and enjoy!

***Tip: These crackers are best eaten the day of…..which shouldn’t be a problem considering how delicious they are! Take a peek at mine below.