Saturday’s food swap with Mile High Swappers was so much fun; we were hosted by Savory Spice Shop in downtown Boulder and it was the perfect atmosphere for foodie fun. People were brave about coming out in the frigid, snowy weather—and braving the Parade of Lights crowd!
For the first time, the swap had a theme: soup. I brought a light white bean and leek soup from a recipe I found in Real Moms Love to Eat, and I brought home a batch of fantastic soups in exchange, including a classic clam chowder, pumpkin soup with caramelized onions, broccoli cheese soup, and mulligatawny.
I also whipped up a batch of these tasty little Santa Fe cheese crackers and they were a huge hit—as I knew they would be! These little nimnals don’t hang around long at any event. They would be fantastic as an accompaniment to tortilla soup or, you know, a Margarita.
Recipe: Santa Fe Cheese Crackers
Summary: A spicy twist on traditional cheese crackers.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon jalapeno powder
- 1 tablespoon half-and-half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor and blend until mixture looks like coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds.
- Add the half-and-half and process until the dough comes together to form a ball.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface as thin as possible, about 1/8 of an inch thick. Using a small round cutter, cut the dough and place about 1/4 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat. Using a fork, perforate each round a couple of times.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown. The crackers will puff up and spread slightly while baking.
- Allow crackers to cool and serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.
Quick notes
Adapted from Cheese Straws on Smitten Kitchen.
Variations
The original recipe calls for sharp cheddar and crushed red pepper flakes. I think any combination of cheese with a similar texture (Swiss, colby Jack, etc.) and herb or pepper would work well in this recipe.
