Homemade Cheez-It's!

My son really loves Cheez-It's and I went on Pinterest and found this awesome recipe from Seeded At The Table. It helps to again take away additional preservatives that are unnecessary in our foods. I did alter two ingredient using whole wheat flour rather then white whole wheat flour and adding additional milk to get the desired texture. They don't look exactly like a Cheez-It, however they taste fantastic. Just remember to roll the dough nice and thin so they get really crispy like Cheez-It's otherwise they are a little softer.

When I make them again I will be more cautious about the dough being nice and thin before backing so they are crispier. Also I forgot to put the whole in the center, which is just esthetically pleasing, but doesn't make or break your Cheez-It. I would have, but with a 3 month old baby waking up in the middle of baking these I had to hurry to take care of her.

 Ingredients: 

• 4 oz block extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 4 1/2 Tablespoons milk, plus more for brushing
• Kosher salt
• 
  

Directions:

Adjust racks to the top and bottom third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade, process the cheese, butter, flours, onion powder, salt and 2-4 1/5 Tablespoons of the milk until a dough is formed. Add up to 1/2 Tablespoon more of milk if the dough is too dry and crumbly.

Transfer the dough to a pastry mat or a clean floured surface. Roll to a large rectangle until the thickness of the dough is about 1/16th of an inch. Using a pastry wheel or a pizza cutter (I used a pizza cutter however if you have a fancy pastry wheel it really makes them look fancy).  Cut the dough into 1x1-inch squares, or 1/2x1/2-inch squares (really, it doesn't matter too much what size you choose) but the baking times may vary. Reserve any scraps to repeat and roll out and cut again.

Using a thin spatula, transfer the dough squares onto the baking sheets. Lightly brush milk onto the tops of each square with a pastry brush, then sprinkle with Kosher salt. Prick the center of each square with the blunt end of a bamboo skewer.

Bake the two baking sheets of crackers for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the size of your crackers, until they are crisp and slightly golden. Rotate the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.

Remove from the oven and set the baking sheets on wire racks. Allow to cool completely.