Whole Wheat Sun-Dried Tomato Cheddar Crackers

When I was pregnant with Mia, we received a copy of Little Foodie: Baby Food Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste as a gift from our cousins. One recipe that caught my eye in particular was a recipe for Whole Wheat Rosemary Cheddar Crackers. Once she sprouted her tiny little teeth and had a need for snacks, I started making this healthier, less processed version of what basically tastes like a Cheez-It. And if you like Cheez-Its like the adults in my house do, I can promise you this won’t just be a toddler’s snack!

I loved the book’s recipe, but there were a couple of things I didn’t like. For one, it called for six ounces of cheddar and most good blocks come in eight ounces. You also can’t buy just a sprig of rosemary, and the recipe only called for one chopped teaspoon full. I hate wasting and I also don’t love rosemary, but I do love (and always have) sun-dried tomatoes. One tip is to make sure to buy a good aged cheddar cheese in block form, not a bag of pre-shredded. It tastes better, there’s a wider selection (I use cheese from grass fed cows which I’ve never seen come pre-shredded), it blends better, and there’s less junk added to it. And I just use the shredding attachment that came with my food processor to get the job done quickly.

The original recipe said you could turn the dough into ropes and then slice them 1/4″ thick. I’ve done this in a pinch, but using cookie cutters is a great toddler activity. I rolled the dough out to 1/4″ thick and Mia punched the shapes. The cutter size I used for these are about 1.5″ wide, but I’ve used cookie cutters up to 3″ wide (gingerbread men, Christmas trees, hearts etc.) and still followed the same baking time. Here’s my version of the recipe as I’ve adapted it:

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes, finely minced*
• 1 tablespoon milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the cheese, butter, flour, salt and garlic powder in a food processor, and pulse until the dough starts to come together.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and turn on the food processor a minute or two until a rough dough ball forms. If a ball isn’t forming, add a teaspoon of milk (a little more if needed) but don’t add too much liquid.
3. The original recipe recommends dusting your work surface with flour, but I’ve never had to do this. Roll the dough into a ball and then divide it into 3-4 balls.**
4. Now, you have two options for rolling these out:
   • The faster method: With your hands roll each ball into a 1 inch rope. Saran wrap each rope and place in the freeze for 45-60 minutes or until just hard to the touch. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take out the dough ropes and slice into 1/4″ slices.
   • The prettier method: Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to 1/4″ thick and use cookie cutters to shape your crackers.
5. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press a dot or two in the middle of each cracker with a chopstick or wooden skewer to keep the cracker from puffing up. The crackers won’t spread in the oven, so feel free to crowd as many as you can onto one sheet.

6. Bake for 11-13 minutes or just golden brown and let cool completely. The crackers will get crispier as they cool down. Store in a container with the lid slightly open, so they don’t get soggy.

NOTES:

*I’ve also added 1/2 teaspoon dried basil to complement the sun-dried tomatoes to this recipe. However, if sun-dried tomatoes aren’t your thing, you can substitute this for 1 1/3 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite dried herbs. You can forgo a secondary flavor altogether as well – it’s still delicious as a regular cheddar cracker!

**I usually wrap half of the dough in saran wrap and freeze for a later date. This recipe makes a lot of crackers – about two baking sheets’ worth if you use a 1.5″ cookie cutter and pack the baking sheet as tightly as I did in these photos.