If you’ve ever had a hankering for a box of Cheez-its, now you can make your own with an elegant, delicious twist! These thyme and black pepper Cheez-its from Chow Creations are delicious and have that wonderful cheesy crunch everyone loves. Make them for a party or simply as a delicious, homemade snack to keep in your kitchen!
Why spend twenty cents a ton for Cheez-its when you can spend an afternoon shopping, cooking, and cleaning dishes for fancy Cheez-its? Because fancy Cheez-its taste better! Sure, making your own Cheez-its is not easier nor is it cheaper, but your foodie friends will definitely be envious. Thyme and Black Pepper Cheez-its! I mean, think about the culinary street cred you’d get.
In all seriousness though, this isn't that hard to make. Including baking time, you can have homemade gourmet Cheez-its in less than 30 minutes—45 if you have to take (blurry) pictures because your writing is vague.
Recipe
- 3/4 cup of sharp cheddar, grated
- 3/4 cup of parmesan, grated
- 4 tablespoon butter, softened
- 3/4 cup of flour
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon if you just want a hint of thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus another 1 teaspoon for topping
- 1 tbsp coconut milk/half & half
Preparation:
First Place all the ingredients in a food processor, everything except the coconut milk/half & half (depending on which one you have or decide to use). Process until crumbly. Add the coconut milk and pulse until the entire mixture comes together.
Second Next, turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll it to 1/16 of an inch. Don’t be afraid to use flour, a stuck Cheez-it is no fun for anyone. Cut into 1-inch squares and dock holes in the centers with a toothpick or chopstick (just a thicker, longer, glorified toothpick). Re-roll the dough with the scraps until all your dough is used up. Traditional Cheez-Its will have indentations on the edges, which you can easily do by pressing the tines of a fork into the edge of the crackers. I did that, at first, but then I got lazy. It's not like there's a purpose to it (if there is leave a comment). As opposed to the hole in the center that prevents the cracker from rising too high.
Third Preheat the oven to 350. Organize them in tight rows. Arrange them on a sheet and bake. Cheeze-Its don’t expand much, up if any, so take advantage of that by getting as many in a single layer as possible. I had to make two batches. If you have a bigger baking sheet, use that instead. Bake for fifteen minutes. Cool for five.
Each bite is an earthy, spicy, cheesy experience...not to mention that crunch! These are flavors reminiscent of the good ol’ times, the times a person could order Mac & Cheese at a fancy restaurant without getting looks, or when one didn't have to pay a mortgage (not that I would know anything about that). Whether it’s worth it or not, homemade Cheez-its are a conduit to the naivety of childhood, albeit a relatively expensive route, but gratifying nonetheless. And as always,
Chow!
You can find more existential-pondering recipes on my blog Chow Creations and follow my whereabouts on the social media (listed below). Don’t forget to follow me and share this post with your friends!
Hi y’all! My name is Aaron Chow. I’m a 17-year-old self-taught chef, photographer, and blogger (also investment manager, newspaper frequenter, and Parkinson’s Disease awareness advocate), who’s passionate about cooking and showing others how food can be easy, accessible, and elegant. I try to show you weekly recipes ranging from the simple to the complicated, but always elegant. If you love reading (especially reading food blogs), I can assure you my blog will entertain. Find me on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Twitter.
All images were taken by Aaron Chow and should be credited to Chow Creations
