Cheez-Its are a big thing in our house and I actually really try to limit buying them at all, for the simple reason that my kids will eat an entire box in an hour if I let them. And even if I don't let them, they will end up "sneaking them" unless I hide them somewhere.
And since I get tired of hearing them ask me to buy them, I thought it might be a good idea to have a recipe for homemade Cheez Its on hand. This way I can control what they are eating. They still aren't the healthiest snack available and of course I would prefer they snack on fruits and vegetables, but at least by making them from scratch, I know exactly what is going in to them and there are no artificial flavoring or preservatives!
To make this recipe for homemade Cheez Its, you will need:
Ingredients:
8 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 tbsp cold Butter cut into small pieces
2 tbsp Shortening
1 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
1 cup Flour
2 tbsp Ice Cold Water
Scroll down for the complete directions!
These didn't end up tasting EXACTLY like the original, but they were close enough that my children were satisfied and I was able to put off buying a box for a while.
I would love to know if you make these and if you liked them!
Ingredients
- 8 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2 tbsp cold Butter cut into small pieces
- 2 tbsp Shortening
- 1 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
- 1 cup Flour
- 2 tbsp Ice Cold Water
Instructions
- Blend the cheese, butter, shortening and salt together on medium low speed in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or food processor
- Add the flour and mix on low to incorporate (the dough will be dry and crumbly).
- Slowly add the water just until the dough comes together in a lump.
- Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Flour your work area and roll out the dough very thin (less than 1/8").
- Use a pastry cutter to cut into 1" squares and use a skewer or toothpick to poke a hole in the center of each.
- Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light brown at the edges.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool.
You said, "not the healthiest". Isn't cheese made out of something nutritious? Calcium, protein? Probably healthier than preservatives in the box from the store
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Janice
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These turned out pretty good. They taste a lot like the real thing. Just be sure to roll them out very thin. I didn't get mine thin enough and they turned out too thick, which affected the crispiness.