Cheesy and buttery with just a hint of heat and a little crunch from toasted pecans, these delicate little nibbles are the perfect bite to share with a glass of cheer!
You might be starting to make preparations for the big game or like me, you like to keep snacks on hand for guests. These cheesy bites come from an old recipe, making a light appetizer to serve your guests or an unexpected pleasure as a hostess gift. And they’re easy to make.
Cheese straws and cheese crackers have long been a delicious Southern staple. They’re a bit more tender than a traditional cracker and start with simple ingredients beginning with creamy butter blended with a splash of Worcestershire and a shake or two of Tabasco. Then mounds of golden sharp cheddar cheese are shredded and added to the mix. Toss in toasted pecans and you have another wonderful layer of texture and taste!
The cheesy dough is rolled into log then sliced and baked transforming into thin, feathery-light crackers, tender to the tooth with just a hint of crisp.
A quick note, when selecting cheese for the crackers pick a block of sharp cheddar. Cheese that is grated before packaging has a coating added to prevent it from clumping together so it won’t blend in as smoothly as cheese that is freshly grated. It only takes a few minutes and it’s worth the effort.
You also want to make certain the pecans are toasted adding that layer of crisp and nuttiness. You can toast a batch ahead of time and keep them in the freezer.
These cheesy, nutty crackers are a fun, tasty throwback!
Cheddar Pecan Crackers
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ to 1 teaspoon Tabasco
2-½ cups shredded cheese, about ¾ pound cheese
½ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
1 cup flour, sifted before adding
Toasted pecans halves, optional
Cream the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the Tabasco, blending it into the butter using medium speed.
Toss in the shredded cheese, blending into the butter mixture.
Stir in the chopped pecans and ⅓ cup of the flour on low speed. Add the remaining flour ⅓ cup at a time working into the cheese.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface – it will look dry and crumbly. Gently work the dough by hand until the flour is blended into the cheese mixture.
Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a log about 2” in diameter. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
When you’re ready to bake, slice into ¼” thick slices.
Place each cheese cracker on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat liner or parchment paper. Leave about 2” between each cracker for spreading. Top all or part of the crackers with a pecan half.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crackers are barely crisp and starting to brown on the edges. Let the crackers cool on the baking pans for about 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Extra crackers can be frozen. Makes about 4 dozen crackers.
Cheddar Pecan Crackers
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Baking sheets lined with Silpat liners or parchment paper
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Tabasco
- 2-½ cups shredded cheese, about ¾ pound cheese
- ½ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
- 1 cup flour, sifted before measuring
- Toasted pecans halves, optional
Instructions
- Cream the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the Tabasco, blending it into the butter using medium speed.
- Toss in the shredded cheese, blending into the butter mixture.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and ⅓ cup of the flour on low speed. Add the remaining flour ⅓ cup at a time working into the cheese.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface – it will look crumbly. Gently work the dough by hand until the flour is blended into the cheese mixture.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a log about 2” in diameter. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
- When you’re ready to bake, slice into ¼” thick slices. Place each cheese cracker on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat liner or parchment paper. Leave about 2” between each cracker for spreading.
- Top all or part of the crackers with a pecan half.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crackers are barely crisp and starting to brown on the edges. Let the crackers cool on the baking pans for about 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
