Assorted Cheddar Crisps

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery, cheese-packed crisps loaded with sharp Cheddar and your choice of three flavor profiles: cracked pepper, caraway, or nigella seeds. These keep for days and disappear in minutes. The dough comes together in a food processor, then you slice and bake until golden and snappy.

Assorted Cheddar Crisps

Three logs, one base dough, three flavor profiles. Sharp Cheddar holds the line while mustard, pepper, caraway, and nigella each get their moment. The trick is keeping the dough cold and slicing thin enough to shatter without shattering in your hands. These are the kind of crisps that disappear before they cool.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 stickunsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 lbsharp Cheddar, coarsely grated
  • 1 largeegg yolk
  • 1 cupall-purpose flour
  • 1 tspdried mustard
  • 3/4 tspsalt
  • 1 tspcracked black pepper
  • 1 tspcaraway seeds
  • 1 tspnigella seeds
  • 1parchment paper

Instructions

  1. Combine the butter, cheese, and egg yolk in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the flour, dried mustard, and salt, then pulse until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper and divide it into 3 portions, leaving the processor as is.

  2. Return one portion to the processor, add the pepper, and pulse until well combined. Transfer to a fresh sheet of wax paper and shape into a 7-inch-long log about 1 1/2 inches thick, using the paper to help form it. Roll the log up in the paper and twist both ends to seal. Repeat with the remaining two portions on separate sheets of wax paper, using caraway seeds for the second log and nigella seeds for the third, cleaning the processor between each batch. Refrigerate all three logs until firm, about 2 hours.

  3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

  4. Unwrap one log and cut enough slices, about 1/8 inch thick, to fill the baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Bake until the edges turn golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Slide the parchment onto a rack and let the crackers cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Continue slicing and baking the remaining dough in batches.

  5. Serve the crackers warm or at room temperature.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Grate the Cheddar in a food processor, not by hand. It stays cold and blends into the dough faster and smoother.
  • Roll the logs in wax paper, not parchment. Wax paper is easier to use as a forming aid and won't stick to the dough like parchment can.
  • Freeze the logs for up to a month. You don't need to thaw them, just add a minute or two to baking time and slice straight from the freezer.
  • Slice with a thin, sharp knife dipped in water between cuts. The water keeps the blade from dragging cheese and tearing the dough.

Variations

  • All-seeds version: Skip the flavor variations and combine one teaspoon of mixed seeds (caraway, nigella, sesame) into the whole batch for a simpler approach.
  • Paprika and cayenne: Replace the pepper log with one teaspoon smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne for a spicier, smokier cracker.
  • Rosemary and sea salt: Use one teaspoon minced fresh rosemary and finish with fleur de sel before baking for an herbaceous, savory take.

Make ahead and storage

Store crisps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. They soften over time, so refresh them in a 325°F oven for two to three minutes if they start to lose their snap.