Can I make the cracker dough ahead of time?

Yes! The dough actually benefits from a rest. You can refrigerate it for up to 3 days before rolling and cutting. If you’d like to prep even further ahead, you can roll, brush, and top each cracker with a pecan before wrapping and freezing until solid. Carefully layer in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen for an additional 3-4 minutes!

What if I don't have a food processor?

ou can still make these crackers by hand. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then use a pastry cutter (or your fingertips) to work in the butter and cheese until crumbly. Add the cream and egg yolk and stir until a dough forms. It takes a little more effort, but the results are just as delicious.

My crackers baked and browned too quickly. What went wrong?

These crackers are thin and buttery, which means they can turn from golden to toasty in a flash. Make sure your oven is calibrated (many ovens run hotter than they claim). Start checking at the 12–13 minute mark, especially if your rounds are smaller or rolled a bit thinner. A parchment-lined baking sheet also helps prevent over-browning on the bottoms.

Buttery Cheddar Pecan Crackers

Description

Crisp, buttery, and packed with sharp cheddar flavor, these savory holiday crackers come together quickly in the food processor and bake up beautifully golden. Each tender cracker is topped with a toasted pecan half for the perfect Texas touch. Ideal for Thanksgiving appetizer spreads, Christmas snack boards, or gifting in holiday cookie tins!

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pats
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated and at room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 large egg, divided into egg yolk and egg white
About 60 pecan halves

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Instructions

Add flour, salt, and red pepper flakes to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Whirl just to combine the ingredients.
Add the pats of butter, cheese, cream and an egg yolk to the food processor and pulse until just combined, about 30 seconds. Stop the food processor every few seconds to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything mixes evenly.
Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
On a lightly floured work surface, divide the chilled dough in half and roll each half to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Use a thin offset spatula to transfer the rounds to a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1-inch apart. Continue until as many rounds as you’d like are cut, re-rolling the scraps once.
Place rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly burst the bottom of a pecan half with beaten egg white and gently press into the top of each cracker round. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating and swapping racks halfway through baking. Keep an eye on the crackers after 15 minutes as they can burn quickly.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack before packing away in cookie tins or an airtight container for snacking.