Savory Smoked Habanero Cheddar Shortbreads

I am a closet Cheez-It fanatic. All right, perhaps not so closeted. I can't buy them because I can't be trusted to exercise moderation when it comes to those addictively yum orange, cheesey, orange, salty, orange crackers. This is my revenge against the savage hold those crackers have over me.

These are the cheese crackers that young Cheez-Its put pictures of in their lockers and on their bedroom walls. Cheez-Its want to be these when they grow up.

If you can't find ground smoked habanero pepper, feel free to substitute cayenne and replace the sweet paprika with smoky Spanish pimenton. Use yellow cheddar if you want the cheese to show up in the cracker.

These are just perfect with a glass of wine, white or red. Enjoy!

Savory Smoked Habanero Cheddar Shortbreads 

• 3 ounces butter, softened
• 4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground smoked habanero pepper (or cayenne)
• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Flaked sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

1. Combine butter, Cheddar, cream cheese, salt, habanero pepper, and paprika in the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attached. Beat at medium speed until all ingredients are combined.
2. Add flour to cheese mixture, then continue beating until flour is incorporated.
3. Separate dough into 3 portions. Roll each portion into a long, thin cylinder. Wrap all three cylinders in waxed paper and chill for 30 minutes or until set.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Use a sharp or serrated knife to cut the chilled rolls of dough into thin (about 1/6”) rounds. Place on baking sheet. These won’t spread, so you don’t need to space them out much. Sprinkle crackers with flaked sea salt.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until tops begin to turn golden brown. Let cool on pan 1 minute, then remove to rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for up to one week at room temperature, or freeze for longer storage.

Recipe Note:

If you like a thinner, crisper cracker, instead of forming the dough into logs, roll it out into thin sheets and score with a pastry wheel into the desired cracker-size squares. Bake until golden, then let sit on pan till cool.