I love CheeseIts and other snack crackers, but don’t like all the stuff found in them. I decided to create my own version, a hybrid of cheese straws and cheese crackers. After quite a few trial-and-error efforts, this is now my favorite snack recipe for movie night, gameday, and they are so nice for a grazing board, too. The recipe doubles and triples if you need an exceptionally large quantity. Just make certain to roll them out thin enough so they can get nice and golden brown so they will be crunchy.

HOMEMADE CHEESE CRACKERS

Makes 100-150 depending on size and thickness.

Note: Block cheese you grate yourself works infinitely better than not pre-shredded cheese. The better the cheese, the better the cracker.

Edges and bottom should be lightly browned.

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt, plus more for topping

¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed

Pinch cayenne

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 tablespoons ice water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add the grated cheese, flour and salt to a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter, a few pieces at a time and pulse a few times after each addition. After the butter has been incorporated, pulse a few more times until the dough is crumbly.

Add the water then pulse several more times.

The dough won't come together in a ball, it will be very crumbly as you can see in the photo above, but it should come together when you press it with your hands. Shape into a disc and wrap it in plastic. Chill for 30 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a large rectangle, as thin as you can get it; about 1/8 inch thick.

Use a knife, pizza cutter or pastry wheel to slice into 1-inch squares. Use a skewer to poke a hole through the center of each cracker. Place on the baking sheets and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until deep golden brown on the bottom and golden on the sides. If they are too light, they will not be crispy. Let them cool completely before storing them.