Cheese Snacks

These cheese snacks are a slice-and-bake shortbread-style cracker with just 5 ingredients. Flour, butter, grated cheese, salt, and cayenne get worked together into a dough, rolled into a log, chilled, and sliced into rounds before baking.

The technique is the same as making shortbread or icebox cookies. Working the butter and cheese into the sifted flour creates a crumbly, tender dough that bakes up flaky and crisp. The cayenne is subtle at ¼ teaspoon, just enough warmth to make the cheese flavor pop without any real heat.

Keeping the dough log in the fridge is the real convenience here. You can slice off and bake as many or as few crackers as you want, whenever you want them. The dough holds for days, so you’re always 15 minutes away from warm, fresh cheese crackers.

Use a sharp, aged cheese like sharp cheddar or aged Gruyere for the strongest flavor. Mild cheeses melt fine but don’t punch through the butter and flour the same way.

Kitchen Tips

• Chill the log until very firm before slicing. Soft dough squishes into ovals instead of cutting into clean rounds
• Slice about ¼ inch thick for the crispiest result. Thicker slices stay soft in the center
• Space them an inch apart on the sheet. They spread slightly as the cheese melts
• These are best eaten warm from the oven when the cheese is still fragrant

Variations

• Everything seasoning: Roll the log in everything bagel seasoning before chilling for a seedy, savory crust
• Herbed cheese: Add a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme to the dough