Description
I made these wonderful, cheesy and slightly spicy crackers for a friend’s baby shower. They were a huge hit! It’s not often you find a cracker that doesn’t need any toppers at all. The black and red pepper add a nice spiciness that’s not too hot.
Ingredients
- ¾ cups Chopped Walnuts Or Pecans
- ¾ cups Dried Sweetened Cranberries (craisins)
- 1 cup Salted Butter, Softened
- ½ teaspoons Kosher Style Salt
- ½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoons Cayenne (red Pepper)
- 2 cups Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar (feel Free To Use Any Combination Of Sharp, Very Flavorful Hard Cheeses. Parmesan For 1/4-1/2 Of The Cheese Is Also Great)
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
Preparation
Note: The listed prep time is simply for preparing the dough. The dough then needs to be refrigerated for 2-24 hours before slicing.
Toast the nuts on a dry pan in a 350 F oven for 10-15 minutes until aromatic and flavorful. While the nuts are toasting, coarsely chop then cover the Craisins with boiling water in a small bowl. Let them soak/soften for 10-15 minutes. Drain, pat dry and allow Craisins and nuts to cool while proceeding with next steps.
In a medium sized bowl, beat butter, salt, black and red pepper until fluffy. Add cheese(s) and mix until all is creamed together. Add flour a little at a time and mix until combined. With mixer on low, or with a wooden spoon, gently stir in the nuts and Craisins.
Divide dough in half and roll each half into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in cellophane and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Chilling for 24 hours is better, but you’re just looking for the dough to be firm enough to cut.
Remove plastic wrap and slice logs into 1/4 inch rounds. Place rounds about an inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and allow to rest on cooling racks until room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to a month. Good luck keeping them around for very long. They disappear quickly!
The baby shower I was attending had lots of sweets planned, so I wanted to bring something savory. Shortbread cookies are a favorite of ours, so removing the sugar and adding crunchy nuts, sweet/tart Craisins and pungent sharp cheese really fit the bill. These were a huge hit and the only complaint was that people couldn’t stay out of them!
