Slice and Bake Crackers

   So maybe my title for this post is just a wee bit deceitful.  Maybe I made you think you could just go pick a roll of these babies up in the dairy aisle beside those cinnamon rolls in a can and have them in mere moments.  I promise, even if you could do that, they wouldn't taste as amazing as these do!

  Now, don't leave me yet!  This recipe really is quite, quite simple and the payoff is great.  Who brings homemade crackers to a party, after all?

   This is yet another recipe shared with me by my friend Angela.  She discovered it in a Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving leaflet and passed it on to me.  These have since become a Thanksgiving tradition at our house and are served with tiny pumpkins and turkeys cut out of the middles and baked separately.  So cute, they are!

  Plan ahead if you are going to make these crackers because they need a little chilling time.  I actually plan wayyyy ahead and usually freeze them for several weeks before I need them for an event.  I let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then they are so easy to, well, to slice and bake.

  The recipe from Williams-Sonoma offers three different variations on the crackers.  I am a sucker for variations and sometimes have a hard time convincing myself that these are suggestions and not mandates.  I will say, however, that I have tried all three variations and always make the parmesan and the cheddar varieties.  I will never make the asiago ones again, though.  I have no idea why but they made my entire house smell like dog food.  Done.

  You can find the original recipe for Rosemary-Parmesan Icebox Crackers on the Williams-Sonoma website.

Slice and Bake Crackers (click for printable version)

Parmesan Version:

3/4 C all-purpose flour (I rely on White Lily)
1 t. salt (I use Kosher)
1 t. coarse black pepper
2 t. chopped fresh rosemary
4 T butter, cut into small cubes
1 C. grated parmesan cheese (I use the Sargento Artisan Blend which also has some Grana Padano)
1/4 C. whipping cream

Cheddar Version:

1 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper (original recipe calls for 1/2 t. but I think this is too spicy)
4 T. butter, cut into small pieces
1 C. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 C. whipping cream

   Combine all the dry ingredients (including rosemary in the parmesan version) in the food processor and turn it on for about 10 seconds.  Here is the before picture.

    Scatter the butter over the top and pulse about 10 times to combine.  The mixture will look a little like sand.

   Add the cheese and pulse several times.

   With the food processor running, very slowly pour in the whipping cream.  Leave the food processor on until the mixture forms a clump in the bowl.  You might think the machine is about to take off from your counter!

    Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and dump the entire mixture out on to the plasic wrap.

    Using your hands, shape the dough into a small log.  You can make it longer or thicker depending on how big you want your crackers to be.  When I am cutting out my little shapes from the middle at Thanksgiving, I usually make the diameter pretty wide but if I am just slicing and baking then I make smaller crackers.  I also thump the ends on the counter to make them straight.

   Wrap the entire roll in the plastic and place in the fridge for several hours.  Again, you can also freeze these in plastic bags until you are ready to use them.

  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Slice the crackers very thinly and as evenly as possible.  Bake anywhere between 20-25 minutes or until they begin to brown.

   These crackers won't keep long once they are baked, so be ready to snack on them or to take them to a party!