A good book and a recipe — Mrs. Santa’s Crunchy Cheese Cracker found in “Forget What You Know”

It’s always fun for me to discover a recipe at the end of a good book. As I read Christina Dodd’s “Forget What You Know,” crunchy cheese crackers repeatedly were mentioned so I was thrilled to discover a link to the recipe at the end of the book. Despite already having several recipes for really good cheese crackers, I was intrigued by the addition of corn flakes to the usual cheese cracker ingredients, the addition that adds the crunch. Another positive about these cheesy delights is the fact that they are slice and bake crackers so can be made ahead (unbaked logs can even be frozen) and then bakeds on an as needed basis. 

Dodd’s description preceding the recipe includes: In the small town of Gothic, California, Mrs. Santa’s tearoom is decorated (or over-decorated) in Christmas décor: “walls covered with framed Christmas prints, Christmas-themed ceramics, English porcelain Christmas-painted plates on decorative hangers. Santas decorated the light switches. Painted evergreen branches climbed the table legs and Christmas tree bulbs dotted the wallpaper.” Mrs. Santa serves the usual tearoom fare: delicate sandwiches with no crusts, curried chicken salad, scones with clotted cream and lemon curd and, of course, steaming hot tea served in Santa teapots. Her pièce de résistance is a Santa plate filled with her famous cheese wafers. They have a special crunch."

 

The recipe appears exactly as printed on Dodd’s website. Check out her other recipes, too. 

 

Mrs. Santa’s Crunchy Cheese Cracker

1 ½ cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (1/3 lb.)

½ cup unsalted butter, softened—Mrs. Santa uses Kerrygold

1 cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried mustard

½ teaspoon cayenne (less or more depends on your taste)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ cups corn flakes cereal, crushed

Ice water 

1. Process cheese and butter in food processor until blended. 
   
2. Add flour, salt, dried mustard and cayenne. Pulse until blended. 
3. Add cereal, process until blended. Add Worcestershire sauce.
   
4. Here’s the tricky part. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, and toss lightly. How much?Depends on where you live and the time of year. Humidity makes a huge difference. What you’re looking for is the mixture to cling together when you press it between your palms. If you make your own pie dough, think of that. 
   
   
   
   

5. 

   I divided the dough into 2 logs. 

   Once you get that consistency, roll it into a one inch diameter log, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least four hours.
6. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 350 ° F. 
7. Cut log with a serrated knife into wafers. 
   
8. Bake on a sheet 12 to 14 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container (they are fragile!) and serve them on a Santa plate to your best friends.
9. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut log with a serrated knife into wafers. Bake on a sheet 12-14 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container (they are fragile!) and serve them on a Santa plate to your best friends.Mrs. Santa’s crackers freeze well, make delightful gifts. 

Recipe without photos . . . Mrs. Santa’s Crunchy Cheese Cracker

1 ½ cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (1/3 lb.)

½ cup unsalted butter, softened—Mrs. Santa uses Kerrygold

1 cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried mustard

½ teaspoon cayenne (less or more depends on your taste)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ cups corn flakes cereal, crushed

Ice water 

1. Process cheese and butter in food processor until blended. 
2. Add flour, salt, dried mustard and cayenne. Pulse until blended. 
3. Add cereal, process until blended. Add Worcestershire sauce.
4. Here’s the tricky part. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, and toss lightly. How much?Depends on where you live and the time of year. Humidity makes a huge difference. What you’re looking for is the mixture to cling together when you press it between your palms. If you make your own pie dough, think of that. 
5. Once you get that consistency, roll it into a one inch diameter log, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least four hours.
6. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 350 ° F.t. 
7. Cut log with a serrated knife into wafers. 
8. Bake on a sheet 12 to 14 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container (they are fragile!) and serve them on a Santa plate to your best friends.
9. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut log with a serrated knife into wafers. Bake on a sheet 12-14 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container (they are fragile!) and serve them on a Santa plate to your best friends.Mrs. Santa’s crackers freeze well, make delightful gifts.