One of my go-to tricks is to keep some dough for slice-and-bake crackers in the freezer that I can throw in the oven when people are coming for drinks. The sharp Vermont Cheddar and spicy chipotle chili powder with crunchy sea salt really wake up everyone’s taste buds. My friends can’t stop eating these! —Ina Garten
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What you’ll need
Stand Mixer
$330 $250 At Amazon
Box Grater
$12 $9 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$30 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 24–28
Ingredients
¼
½
1
½
Preparation
Step 1
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place ¼ lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, ½ lb. aged Cheddar, grated, 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, ½ tsp. ground chipotle powder, and 1 tsp. kosher salt. Add 1½ Tbsp. water and mix on low speed to combine the ingredients. Turn the mixer to medium and beat for 30 seconds, until the ingredients come together in big clumps.
Step 2
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured cutting board and roll it into a log 12" long by 1½" wide. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (You can refrigerate the dough for several days or freeze it for up to 4 months.)
Step 3
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°.
Step 4
Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Slice the dough ½" thick and place the rounds 1" apart on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on the sheet pans or a baking rack and serve at room temperature.
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Reviews (13)
Back to Topthis might be the only recipe of Ina's that gets a thumbs down from me. at 1/2", they need to cook longer than 15 minutes. mine were done in about 22 minutes. i think they're bland and chalky. could definitely be me; i'm only a fair cook, but these are very basic, so not sure how i could have messed them up. but clearly i did - or the recipe really is a stinker.
laurie
minneapolis
11/6/2022
Awesome recipe. These are so good it’s insane. How can something be light and rich at the same time?
Marci in Tucson
Tucson, Az
11/14/2022
These are fantastic. One quibble though: please provide flour measurements by weight instead of volume. My first time around, I tried one cup plus two Tbsp as indicated, guessing around 135 grams, and the cookies spread too much. Better results came from upping the amount of flour, but it would’ve been nice to have the precise measurement from the beginning.
Lydia
Norcal
11/21/2022
Easy do ahead project that taste great and fun to make.
Frankie
San Francisco
11/22/2022
Brilliant! Quick and easy to make. Great texture and flavor. Huge hit at dinner tonight!
Suecq2
California
11/25/2022
These crackers are amazing! Although I did cut them in 1/4” rounds rather than 1/2. It made them lighter and crispier… I also tried using Gouda cheese and they came out fabulous this way also! These are the best gosh darn appetizer crackers ever … just pull the roll out of the refrigerator, slice, bake and people just gobble them up!
Linda
Stockton, Ca
11/26/2022
These crackers will be an all time favorite. You do need to use good aged cheddar to get that wonderful flavor. The hit of chipotle and salt seals the deal. And, it is so easy to put together. What more do you need?
GailS
12/19/2022