Homemade White Cheddar Cheez It Crackers!

Way back in the land before time known as the June of 2011 I promised Cabot on Facebook that I would make something super duper special after declaring my eternal love for their cheese. Then all of a sudden we were in forty thousand degree weather and I completely "forgot" about doing something special with the cheese. Other than eat it that is. It's not like Cabot was paying me or anything. I just really love their cheese. Especially their Seriously Sharp White Cheddar. It's stuff dreams are made of. I decided to make good on my promise since we now have snow on the ground. Here I'll prove it. 

I'm not exactly racing to be spokesman for I LOVE NEW YORK. Snow? October? Kind of used to it. But I digress. Back to the cheddar. Some things are worth paying extra for. This is one of them.  

I needed a strait edge to cut the squares. Thank you Ramen.

Usually the cheese is gone before I can even make anything with it. Instead of buying just one slab we bought two so I had only just made my way into it before I thought "Hey, I'll make some cheez its with the Cabot." Then I heard a little voice say behind me, "CHEESE???"

IMPORTANT! You must give each cracker a belly button or it loses it's flavor. *grins*

There was little curly haired Madeline looking expectantly. Instead of waiting for my answer she answered for me. "OKAY!" Right behind Cupcake Bandit Madeline was her sister Natalie. With both sets of blue eyeballs on me I sliced them some cheese and proceed to make the cheez its. They were there..EVERY.STEP.OF.THE.WAY. I loved every minute of it.

Avast ye cheez it swip'n scallywags!!!

Homemade Cheez It Crackers by Momma Cupcake
 

•  2 cups grated Seriously Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (packed)
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago Cheese  
• 4 Tablespoons of margarine, room temperature
• 4 Tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
•  Tablespoons Lousiana Hot Sauce
• 1 tbs coarse black pepper
• 1 tbs onion powder

1. Combine cheese, butter, shortening, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with your paddle attatchment until crumbly.
2. Then add flour and the Lousiana Hot Sauce.
3. If the dough doesn't quite come together add a few more squirts of the hot sauce.  
4. Seperate dough into fourths putting the dough you aren't using yet in the fridge.
5. Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
6. On a floured pastry board roll on the first forth of dough until it's about an 1/8 of an inch.
7. Cut dough with a pizza cutter against a strait edge making sure to cut them into 1 inch squares.
8. Make a belly button on each square with a skewer or toothpick.
9. Use a spatula to transfer squares onto the cookie sheet.
10. Pop in the freezer for 5 minutes then transfer immeditately to oven.
11. Bake for 12 minutes or until JUST slightly brown. (These babies will burn quicks so pay attention at the end.)
12. Let cool and enjoy!