Slice and Bake Cheddar Cheese Coins

Ingredients

• 2 cup Sharp cheddar cheese (Shredded and brought to room temperature; freshly shredded cheese is recommended.)
• 1.5 cup All-purpose flour (Spoon and level the flour.)
• 8 tbsp Unsalted butter (Softened to room temperature.)
• 0.5 tsp Kosher salt
• 0.25 tsp Cayenne pepper (Omit if sensitive to spice.)
• 0.25 tsp Ground mustard powder
• 0.25 tsp Sweet paprika
• Everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds (For rolling the dough logs; use enough to coat the work surface and logs.)

Steps

1. 1

   Add the all-purpose flour, softened butter, cayenne pepper, sweet paprika, ground mustard powder, and kosher salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix until the butter is evenly incorporated and the mixture reaches a biscuit-like consistency. If you do not have a mixer, work the mixture together with your hands.

2. 2

   Add the room-temperature shredded cheddar cheese to the dry mixture. Mix with the stand mixer or your hands until the dough comes together into a ball. If mixing by hand, allow at least 5 minutes for the cheese to incorporate properly. The finished dough should be speckled with small pieces of cheese and hold together when pressed between your thumb and forefinger.

3. 3

   Divide the dough in half and transfer the portions to a silicone baking mat or lightly floured work surface. If the dough has stray crumbs or internal gaps, knead each portion briefly until fully cohesive.

4. 4

   Roll each dough portion into a log about 8 inches (20 cm) long and 1.5 inches (about 4 cm) in diameter.

5. 5

   Sprinkle everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds over the work surface. Roll each dough log in the seasoning until it is well coated. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes, until firm.

6. 6

   Position an oven rack in the lower-middle part of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F (205°C).

7. 7

   Using a serrated knife, slice the chilled logs into thin coins slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. It is better for the slices to be slightly too thick than too thin, since thin crackers can burn quickly. Each log should yield about 45 coins.

8. 8

   Arrange the coins on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, leaving modest space between them because they spread slightly during baking.

9. 9

   Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges just barely begin to brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the coins cool completely before serving.

Notes

Store completely cooled cheese coins in an airtight container at room temperature for 5–7 days. For make-ahead preparation, refrigerate or freeze the wrapped dough logs, then let them thaw until workable before slicing and baking. Mixing by hand or with a hand mixer leaves small cheese pieces that melt and bubble attractively; a stand mixer produces a more evenly incorporated dough. If the dough is too crumbly to form a ball, a small amount of water may help, especially when using pre-shredded cheese.

Nutrition per serving

• snack
• appetizer
• baked
• slice-and-bake
• cheese crackers
• vegetarian
• make-ahead
• holiday