Blue Cheese Thins

I have a little weakness for cheese crackers. They are perfect for snacking because they are salty, crispy, and cheesy. Making cheese crackers at home is easy, and you probably have all the ingredients needed. If you are invited to a cocktail party, and you want to bring something homemade this would definitely be the thing to bring. I know it may sound a little crazy to make your own when you can buy a box fairly inexpensively, but homemade ones taste so much better and you can use any type of cheese you like as long as it is firm in texture and strong in flavor. There is a lot of cheese in the recipe compared to the other ingredients, so the crackers will taste exactly like the cheese you are using. You can try extra sharp cheddar, Parmesan, Asiago, Pecorino Romano, aged Gruyère, etc. This is a great way to use up cheese that has been sitting in your fridge and has gotten a bit too dry.

Blue Cheese Thins

Ingredients
• 6 ounces firm blue cheese such as Stilton, crumbled or grated
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground smoked paprika (or chili powder), plus more for sprinkling
• A little milk, as needed
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (or kosher salt)

Procedure
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt, and smoked paprika. Using a dough blender or a fork, mix the ingredients until they start coming together. If the mixture is too dry, you can add a little bit of milk, just until the dough comes together into a ball.
2. Form the dough into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for about 15 minutes, or refrigerate for about 1 hour. You can freeze the dough for several weeks, and take it out of the freezer about 20 minutes before you are ready to slice it.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. With a sharp knife, slice the dough into ¼ inch slices. It will be easier to slice the dough if it is very cold. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and place the slices on it spacing them about ½ inch apart. Brush a generous amount of smoked paprika on each slice, and then sprinkle a bit of salt on each of them. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Do not let them brown too much. You can bake one test slice first, as oven temperatures may vary. Baking time will also depend on the thickness of your slices. Taste the cheese thin after it has cooled, since it will become firm and crispy after cooling.
4. Let the cheese thins rest on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack if you have one. After cooled completely, store in an airtight container.

This recipe is adapted from The Lee Bros Southern Cookbook as shown in the wonderful Chocolate and Zucchini blog.