Cheese snack crackers

[michiganmom116]

Cheese crackers (like Cheez-Its or Cheese Nips)

• 1 c. all purpose flour (I used unbleached) plus 1/2 c. for kneading & rolling
  
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. cheddar cheese powder (equal to 2 pkts. cheese powder from mac & cheese boxes)
• 3 Tbsp. shortening
• 1/3 c. buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp. salt for tops, optional

Sift together 1 c. flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cheese powder in a large bowl.  Cut in the shortening until you get rice-size pieces.  Mixture will be very dry.

Stir in buttermilk with a fork until dough becomes very moist and sticky.  Sprinkle a couple of Tablespoons of the reserved flour over the dough and work it in until it can be handled without sticking, then turn it out onto a floured board, being sure to keep 1/4 c. of the reserve flour for later.  Knead the dough well for 60 to 90 seconds until the flour is well-incorporated.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 325°.  Spray a light coating of cooking spray on a baking sheet. 

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and use the remaining reserve flour to dust a rolling surface.  Roll about 1/3 of the dough to just under 1/16th of inch thick.  Trim the edges square (a pizza cutter works great for this), then transfer the dough to a lightly greased baking sheet, using a rolling pin to transfer the dough. Simply pick up one end of the dough onto a rolling pin, and roll the dough around the rolling pin. Reverse the process onto the baking sheet to transfer the dough.  Use a pizza cutter to cut across and down the dough, creating 1 inch squares.  Use the blunt end of a skewer or broken toothpick to poke a hole in the center of each piece.  Sprinkle a very light coating of salt over the top of the crackers if desired (crackers will already be quite salty) and bake for 8 - 10 minutes, mix the crackers around so those on the edge don't burn, and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until some are just barely turning a light brown.  Repeat the rolling and baking process with the remaining dough.

Make approximately 300 crackers.

[CatDogLady]

I can't wait to try these crackers, they sound wonderful.

 

[CHRISTY58981487]

THEY  SOUND  YUMMY. CHRISTY

[eviesmom453]

Cool!

[bigblueeyes]

cool!.....may have to try this one!