I love cheez-its. So much so that I don't even buy them. Does that make sense? I don't buy them because I know I will eat them all. But when I saw this recipe on Tracey's Culinary Adventures, I was deeply intrigued. I made them immediately since I had all the ingredients and I must say, they are wonderful. As Tracey mentions, you could use most any cheese here, but I had a mild cheddar on hand and I thought they turned out quite nice. Mr. Bites said that they could have used more cayenne pepper, but I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy, so I was probably a little cautious with it. Maybe I'll add more for him next time. Who am I kidding, I probably won't! ;)

 
Cheez-It-Ish Crackers
Recipe from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan via Tracey's Culinary Adventures


8 T. Cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
1/4 lb.Grated cheese
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 C. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour

Add the butter, cheese, salt, and both peppers to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until the butter is broken into smaller pieces and the mixture forms small curds. Add the flour to the food processor and pulse until curds form again.

 
Turn the dough onto your work surface and knead briefly to bring it together. Divide in half, shape each half into a log, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. (I chilled the dough overnight).
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Take each cheese dough log and slice 1/4'" slices and place on parchment lined or Silpat lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the crackers are firm and golden. I let the crackers cool on the cookie sheet for around 3-5 minutes then used a spatula to transfer the crackers to a wire rack to cool further.

The crackers are good warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container. They should be good for at least four days, if they last that long.