Cheddar Fish Crackers

I don't know about y'all, but full blown panic mode usually starts to kick in once I know school season is around the corner. My son has officially 5 days until he starts half day Preschool while my other son will stay in day care. That may not sound like a lot to you, but when I have to figure out half days of transportation and lunches that he will eat and won't cause him to protest food all day... It gives me anxiety.

That's why these little babies make the perfect snack for him. They are toddler hand sized, made with homemade ingredients, and top the charts in the cheese-y and flake-y categories.

The most difficult aspect of this recipe is cutting them all out. This dough should yield about 3-4 cups of crackers. Also, don't hesitate to change up the different cheeses. Mine probably aren't as orange as you all may be familiar with because I mixed my cheddar cheese with Monterey Jack.. So good.

Plus, making your own fishy cookie cutter is easy!

I simply sliced a 1/4 inch round off of a soda can, cut off the extra length, and shaped it into a one inch fish, taping the ends where the tail is at. My body is a little longer so you could technically call them whales but who's judging, right?

Here's how to make the dough...

For the "Fish" dough:
1 cup all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground black pepper
2-3 Tablespoons cold water

Alright, in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the first 6 ingredients (everything but the water). You will want to beat the mixture until it resembles a fine sand.

With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the water, starting with 2 Tablespoons. You are looking for the mixture to start to come together and form a dough ball. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and store in your refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After dough has cooled, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4" thickness. Cut out fish shapes and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and enjoy!

These crackers puff up a fair amount in the oven creating the perfect crunchy outside and soft center. Enjoy!