Crunchy Cheese Crackers 香脆乳酪饼干

My little boy loves the cheesy goldfish crackers, I usually serve them as snack or part of his breakfast and he will happily eat them all.

So when the little sister's birthday is coming soon, I thought of making some cute shapes cheese crackers that are crunchy and healthy.

I gave a piece of the cheese cracker to my boy the next morning, he loved it instantly and rushed downstairs to get more from the cookie jar. Hehe, success!

The crunchy cheese crackers

For the party, I packed all different shapes into small plastic packages so its easy for little fingers to handle. Let's hope all the kids will like them.

Not a cheese lover? Why not try out this easy butter cookie recipe instead!


Preparation Time: 30 minutes (including cutting the cookie dough)
Cooking Time: 10-15 min
Serving for: 50-60 small cookies

Adopted and modified from original recipe posted on www.homecookinginmontana.com.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (100gm) grated Cheddar cheese (or other cheese of your choice for a different flavor. Add more cheese if you like it really cheesy ;)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
¾ cup all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper (optional)
2 tablespoon milk or water

All the ingredients I used

The grated cheese, soft and aromatic

Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Mix butter, salt, sifted flour and ground pepper in a big bowl using a spatula, gradually add the grated cheese, little by little until it's all well mixed and you get a crumb like texture.

2. Add the milk and mix again, until the dough gathers together in a ball.

3. Wrap the dough ball in cling foam and store in freezer for 30 minutes or fridge overnight. This will make the dough less sticky hence easier to work on later.

4. Preheat oven to 175C.

5. Roll the dough out on a floured surface with a rolling pin that has been floured until it is about 1/8 inch thick.

6. Cut the dough into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife / pizza cutter or any cookie cutters you have. Dust the knife or cookie cutter and your hands with some flour to reduce stickiness.

7. Place the crackers flat on a parchment paper on a baking tray, leave at least ¼ inch apart.

8. Bake in middle tray for 12 – 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.

9. Put the baking tray on a rack and let the crackers cool completely.

Fresh from oven, smelling good..

Ready to serve once cool. If you can resist the temptation to eat this crunchy cheese cookies right away (my big guy and I ate a few pieces right away :P), you may store the crackers in an air tight container, good to keep up to a week.

The natural cheddar cheese block I used. Love it's natural taste.