Steak Salad
Cheese Its | From Scratch
Every once in a while you find something so good that it makes a lasting impression in your mind, enticing you to figure out how to make said item. A lot of times I leave these things alone and let them remain mysterious. Sushi is one of those things. I have no want to learn how to produce it. It is “romantic” to me. To watch someone put together a product that I don’t know how to produce makes that product more desirable in my mind. However, sometimes my curiosity gets the best of me. For decades I have eaten these little crackers. These wonderful, cheesy little squares. I can eat them by the handful. For some reason I never looked into making them until now.
Cheez-It crackers were introduced to the world in 1921 in Dayton, Ohio by a company called
Green & Green Company. They were tag-lined as a “Baked Rarebit.” Green & Green was acquired by Sunshine Biscuits in 1932 which was then acquired by Keebler in 1996. In 1929 the stock market crashed inducing widespread panic. Cheez-It crackers were one of those products that people rushed to the store to buy. They went faster than toilet paper in 2020 during the pandemic. That’s just a little history on these perfect 1 inch by 1 inch cheese crackers. I absolutely love these delectable crackers.
To the simple things in life, may they always be there when life gets hard.
So, I am sitting around the house when a craving comes over me. I want one of those little cheese crackers that we all love so much. Then I had a thought. I do have some time on my hands. Maybe I should take up some of that time by figuring out how to make them from scratch. This recipe comes pretty close.
8 oz Cheddar (medium sharp Tillimook) (grated fine)
1 cup AP Flour
4 tbs Butter (cut into cubes)
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/8 tsp Onion Powder
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
3 tbs Ice Water
Put all ingredients in a food processor except for the ice water. Pulse until mixture resembles sand. Now add the ice water and pulse 4 to 5 times. Pour out onto your counter and form into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. The thinner you get the dough the crispier the cracker will be. I used a pasta cutter to cut the squares. I also used a wooden skewer to make the little hole in the center of each cracker. After the dough is cut and skewered, place the uncooked crackers on a non stick silicone baking mat. You can place them pretty close together. They puff up, but not out. If you have a convection oven I would suggest using it. Cook for 8 minutes then rotate 180 degrees. Then cook for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. The more golden they are the more crunchy they will be.
Life can be so complicated nowadays. I think that sometimes we need to look to simpler things. Things that don’t require us to be responsible. Things that are just plain good. So as I pour myself a good hearty dram of bourbon (simply on the rocks tonight), and listen to Peter Gabriel sing “In Your Eyes”, I am doing my best to just think of the simple things in life that make me happy. I hope this helps you find the simple things that make you happy.
Cheers and thank you Green & Green Company for inventing the Cheez-It. To the simple things in life, may they always be there when life gets hard.