Cheese Crackers

One of the more frustrating aspects of living gluten free is the shocking number of snack foods that contain gluten. Even if they are not a wheat based snack, a large number of these snacks contain maltodextrin, a malt based preservative, or they have been processed in facilities using wheat. And sometimes, when you are socializing with friends, or when you just need something quick before you run out the door, you get tired of plain old salted potato chips.

Every person i know who has tried these crackers has become instantly addicted, and so they make a great gift. Once your friends are hooked, they will think you the most generous person on earth for baking them a batch of their new favorite crackers. The corn starch base makes for a melt in your mouth texture, while the crackers themselves are very cheesy, crispy, and with just enough salt. And they are quite simple to make! (Apologies to my dairy free friends. This is one I don't think we'll be converting. I might be able to make my saltine recipe dairy free, however.)

What you will need:

• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons milk

Topping:

• Salt, dried herbs, or spices, as desired.

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

-Combine all the ingredients, except the milk, in a medium-size bowl. Mix until the mixture resembles a fine crumb. Add the milk and beat well. (Use your hands if you're having trouble getting all the dry ingredients incorporated into the dough).

-On a lightly greased surface (or just the baking sheet), pat or roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3/4 inch squares or another small shape that you like. You can also cut the dough into larger round or square cracker shapes, if desired (just extend baking time).

-Prick the tops of the crackers with a fork and sprinkle lightly with your desired topping.

-Bake on the prepared baking sheet until golden brown and crisp, approximately 10 minutes. The crackers will be light and crispy, although barely browning at the edges. The bottom of the crackers will have a bit more color.

My mouth waters just looking at these guys.

Notes: It's important to shred the cheese as opposed to grating it. Grated cheese is too thick to be thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients. Simply use on of the sides of your cheese grater with the small holes.

This recipe says you can use cookie cutters and the like to shape your crackers however you want. I didn't have a large amount of success with that, as I found the dough too greasy and sticky. However, if you experiment with adding a little more dry ingredients and handling the dough correctly, it may be possible. My method is to pat the dough out directly onto the baking sheet and then use a knife to cut a grid pattern into the dough. The edges look rough and ragged, but this lessens with baking. Once they are done, I use the old knife lines like a perforated edge and cut the crackers apart with my spatula.

Also, to retain freshness, these crackers should be stored in air tight containers. If they start seeming a little soft, you can re-crisp them by putting them in a hot oven for a few minutes.

(This recipe was the corn-based version of the Cheese Crackers recipe from Roben Ryberg's "You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free." Rice flour, out flour, and potato starch based versions of this recipe also exist.)