Can’t Stop Eating Cheese Crackers topped with pecans

    

    Butter, cheese and toasted pecans—the combination is irrestible! Truthfully, the only difficult thing about Erabell Vindenberg’s Cheese Cornelias recipe is trying to stop eating them.

     I have several cheese cracker recipes but this one ranks top-of-the-list. Years ago when Barry first started teaching Art at Solomon High School, the principal’s wife (Erabell Vindenberg) asked him to do a pottery presentation for a local club group. His payment—a whole tinful of Cheese Cornelias.  

     Luckily there were a few of the tender, flakey and extremely flavorable morsels left when he returned home. And, of course, Erabell was more than willing to share this recipe and we have a conversation about her everytime I make these. 

Cheese Cornelias    Makes 72 (1 ¾”) cheese crackers

½ lb. (2 sticks) butter, partially soft & cut into chunks – Eraball’s recipe called for margarine or butter; I always use butter

8 oz. block of sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups all-purpose flour

Egg – mix with about 1 tablespoon of water

Whole pecans

Kosher salt

1. Using a mixer, cut butter and cheese into flour; mix just until mixture begins to leave the sides of the bowl, forming a ball.

   

   Ingredients at the beginning of step 1 — mixing.

   

   This is what mixture looks like about midway -- ingredients are breaking down but still rather dry looking at this point.

   

   Dough has come together and left the sides of the bowl.

2. Divide dough into 3 or 4 portions; roll each out ⅛” thick and cut with cookie cutter. 

   

   This is about one fourth of the dough. A marble slab in ideal for rolling but any counter top or a cutting board should work, too.

3. Place on ungreased cookie sheets (I like to cover the cookie with silion liners or parchment paper).
4. Brush top of each cracker with beaten egg.  Put pecan on top.

   

   Crackers are arranged on a cookie sheet fitted with a silicon liner. They've been brushed with a beaten egg and most have been topped with a pecan.

5. Bake in preheated 425° oven for 12 minutes.
6. Sprinkle lightly with salt when they come out of the oven.

   

   Just out of the oven.

   

   Cooling on racks.

   

   Ready to eat! I've arranged them in a seasonal, leaf-shaped antique dish. 

Recipe without photos . . .

Cheese Cornelias    Makes 72 (1 ¾”) cheese crackers

½ lb. (2 sticks) butter, partially soft & cut into chunks – Eraball’s recipe called for margarine or butter; I always use butter

8 oz. block of sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups all-purpose flour

Egg – mix with about 1 tablespoon of water

Whole pecans

Kosher salt

1. Using a mixer, cut butter and cheese into flour; mix just until mixture begins to leave the sides of the bowl, forming a ball.
2. Divide dough into 3 or 4 portions; roll each out ⅛” thick and cut with cookie cutter. 
3. Place on ungreased cookie sheets (I like to cover the cookie with silion liners or parchment paper).
4. Brush top of each cracker with beaten egg.  Put pecan on top.
5. Bake in preheated 425° oven for 12 minutes.
6. Sprinkle lightly with salt when they come out of the oven.