Cheese Coins

Ever wanted a homemade cheeze-it? These are sort of like that! Or maybe a homemade goldfish cracker? The base recipe is pretty good, but there are several variations in the notes. This can also be half prepped ahead of time with being able to leave the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days or freezing for up to a month.

Ingredients

• 8 oz extra sharp cheddar, shredded (~2 C)
• 1½ C all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp paprika
• 8 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 3 Tbs water

Steps

1. In a food processor combine the cheese, cornstarch, salt, cayenne, and paprika and process for 30 seconds.
2. Add butter and process until mixture resembles wet sand, about 20 seconds.
3. Add water and process until a dough ball forms.
4. Transfer dough to counter and divide in half. Roll each half into 10 inch logs and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in fridge until firm, at least 1 hour.
5. Adjust 2 oven racks to the middle and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Unwrap logs and slice into ¼ inch thick coins. Place coins on sheets ½ inch apart.
7. Bake until light golden brown on the edges, 22 to 28 minutes, swapping and rotating the baking sheets half way through.
8. Let coins cool completely on sheets before serving. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

• Buffalo-blue cheese - Substitute 1 C crumbled blue cheese for 1 C cheddar. Increase paprika to 2 tsp and cayenne to ½ tsp. Add 1 teaspoon celery seeds when adding spices. Omit water.
• Everything cheese - Substitute gruyère for cheddar. Add 2 Tbs poppy seeds, 2 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp granulated garlic, 1 tsp onion flakes along with other spices.
• Mustard and caraway cheese - Substitute gruyère for cheddar. Add 1 tsp caraway seeds with spices. Substitute 4 Tbs whole grain mustard for water.