Heart Cheddar Crackers

You can use any shape cookie cutter, but it's hard to beat hearts, especially on Valentine's Day. Consider making this cheddar cracker recipe as a snack, since it's light, relatively healthy and quite tasty. This particular recipe makes for about three and a half dozen crackers or roughly 14 servings. After making these crackers, please feel free to rate and review them—we're looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Also, do try and share this recipe on Facebook and Twitter too. We can't wait to see what your friends and family have to say about this delicious snack!

Ingredients

1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne), or more to taste (or your favorite herb or spice)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) Cabot Salted Butter
1 large egg, beaten
8 ounces Cabot Alpine Cheddar, grated (about 2 cups)

Directions

LINE baking sheets with parchment or coat lightly with butter.

MIX together, in medium bowl, flour, baking powder and cayenne or other seasoning with whisk or fork. Cut butter into small pieces and distribute throughout flour mixture.

BEAT or blend flour and butter together with food processor, electric mixer with paddle attachment, pastry blender or your fingertips, until butter is well incorporated.

ADD egg and beat or blend for 1 to 2 minutes longer until medium-firm dough is formed. Add cheese and beat or blend for another minute or two until incorporated. Press the dough into rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in freezer for about 30 minutes.

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF.

UNWRAP dough and place on lightly floured work surface. Roll out into 1/8-inch-thick (or thinner) layer. With heart-shaped cookie cutter*, cut out crackers and place on prepared baking sheets.

BAKE crackers for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool on baking sheets, then store in tightly covered container for up to one week.

A great online source for cookie cutters is Off the Beaten Path.

Recipe courtesy of Jimmy Kennedy.