Rosemary Cheese Crackers

This is only the second snack recipe I've posted here, and so far they've both prominently featured rosemary; I swear this isn't going to be a trend. It's just that these crackers are really good. Yes, you have to roll out the dough, but it's worth it. It's definitely worth it. When GarnishGuy got home, he munched on a few and commented, "These are good. Where are they from?" It was one of my proudest culinary moments.

For this recipe, I started with a homemade Cheez-It recipe and tried to class it up a bit. I replaced half of the sharp cheddar with aged gouda, and I added a teaspoon of dried rosemary. The result is crispy, buttery, cheesy, oh-so-good little crackers that pair perfectly with a strong cocktail. I am absolutely making this my new default recipe when we have friends over for drinks. And the best part is that you can make the dough or even the crackers ahead of time and freeze them! They can be ready to eat in 20 minutes.

If you're used to three-ingredient cocktail recipes involving nothing but a shaker and a jigger, buckle up. This might get a little scary. First, you have to break out your food processer. I know, I know. Think of the dishes you'll have to wash! But stay with me here. It makes things easy. You combine all the ingredients in the food processer, and it does the mixing perfectly for you.

Next you form the dough into two flattened squares and refrigerate them for 30 minutes. This is so the dough doesn't get too warm while you're working with it. You need to keep the butter cold. I only made a half recipe this first go-round, so I stuck to one square.

After 30 minutes, pull out the first square of dough and roll it into something resembling a square that's 1/8" thick. I put down some flower, but the dough is really easy to work with and you don't really need it. Once it's rolled out, you want to cut your crackers. The recipe recommends using a fluted pastry cutter, but I didn't have one, so I just used a knife. I kind of like the neatness of the plain edges. A pizza cutter would be ideal for this task.

To keep the crackers uniform, I used a clean ruler that was the same width as my crackers. If you're more concerned about taste than looks, you don't have to be this precise.

You're going to end up with some raggedy dough on the ends that you can collect and roll out again. Repeat this until you don't have enough left for a decent square (or until you get frustrated and just smash it into something vaguely resembling a cracker).

Take a toothpick or something similar and make a small round indentation in the center of each cracker. This keeps them from puffing up too much, and also gives them the look of commercial crackers. Repeat this whole process with the second square of dough if you're making the full recipe.

You're almost there, but there's another step between you and baking these goodies. You want to put your crackers in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This will make it easier to transfer them to the baking sheet and will help them bake appropriately. You can preheat the oven while they're in there.

When you've got them out of the freezer, lightly beat an egg white and brush it lightly over the tops. Sprinkle them with salt and transfer them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake them for about 14 minutes, or until they're puffed and slightly browned on the top and the bottom. I like to undershoot and check on them frequently. Let them cool on a cooling rack before serving.

And that's it! It may sound like a lot, but it was really not a difficult recipe considering how professional the results looked. And they are so tasty!

Rosemary Cheese Crackers

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt, plus more for sprinkling
6 tbsp. butter at room temperature
3 3/4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 3/4 cup)
3 3/4 oz. aged gouda, grated (about 1 3/4 cup)
2-4 tbsp. ice water
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Combine flower, baking powder, and salt in the food processer and pulse briefly to combine. Add butter and cheese and pulse until well-mixed. Add 2 tbsp of ice water and pulse to mix. Add more water if needed; dough should hold together when squeezed.

Remove dough from food processer and shape into two flat square. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the first square of dough and roll it out into a square 1/8" thick. Using a fluted pastry cutter, pizza cutter, or knife, cut the dough into squares about 3/4" on each side. Using the flat end of a toothpick or skewer, make an indentation in the center of each square. Repeat with the remaining square of dough.

Put crackers in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, until firm. In theory you should be able to freeze them indefinitely and pull them out when you're ready to make them. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once dough is firm, remove from the freezer and brush with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle with salt. Carefully transfer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until puffed and slightly browned on each side. Let cool on a cooling rack before serving.

Recipe adapted from Food 52.