Make Ahead

Cheese Crispettes

by:
February 10, 2010
4
5 Ratings
Cheese Crispettes
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves about 40
Author Notes

This recipe comes from my mother and started out very 1960's—it called for margarine (or "oleo" as my mom wrote) and Rice Krispies. She used to make these for every party and I always loved them (as did everyone else), so I played with the recipe. It's very forgiving. You can adjust the seasonings to your taste. And as tigerwoman notes below, you can make these gluten free by using chickpea instead of all-purpose flour, and Rice Krispies in place of panko. —drbabs

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F and line cookie sheets with parchment.
  2. Put flour, butter, cheese, cayenne, paprika and salt into food processor and pulse till completely blended and a ball forms. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
  3. Add panko and process in small pulses (as few as possible) to incorporate panko into dough.
  4. Scoop small balls of dough (about 1/2 teaspoon) and roll in the palm of your hand. Place on cookie sheet and flatten with fork or spatula. (You can also roll the dough out about 1/2 inch thick and use small cookie cutters.) Sprinkle the tops with smoked paprika and more salt if desired.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes until the bottom is lightly browned and the crispettes are cooked through. (I like these best when they are on the well-done side, so you may bake them a little longer—just watch carefully so they don't burn.)
  6. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.
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37 Reviews

lsm
lsm May 10, 2018
Just made these cheese crackers. Very easy. Next time I will double the recipe. It seems every recipe that I try on this website comes out . I have yet to find one that I have not been able to make. Love this website and the people who contribute the recipes and the articles. Thanks
 
drbabs
drbabs May 10, 2018
I’m so glad you liked them.
 
NancyD
NancyD December 4, 2016
I just tried this recipe out of the Baking cookbook - they taste delicious but turned out thin and crumbly. A little too fragile for my holiday gift idea. What am I doing wrong? Maybe pulsed the mixture too long, before the panko?
 
drbabs
drbabs December 4, 2016
I'm not sure. I just made a batch and rolled it into a log, refrigerated the dough, and then cut it into 1/2 inch slices. They were fragile but held together well. Maybe your dough was too warm? And the butter and cheese melted too quickly?
 
NancyD
NancyD December 4, 2016
Maybe so... I will try refrigerating a log next batch!
 
Kitspy
Kitspy September 12, 2015
Just made a half batch of these as a homework snack. I used Parmesan as that's all I had on hand, and kept all the seasonings as is. I really regret not making a full batch.
 
Martha
Martha September 17, 2014
I used Rice Krispies instead of panko breadcrumbs and it was delicious!!!
 
Judi N.
Judi N. September 6, 2014
I'm going to cut back on the cheese a bit and try adding some nice, crisp bacon. Wish me luck!
 
Katheryn's K.
Katheryn's K. December 10, 2013
These look delicious, very similar to my Spicy Cheese Crisps. So many things to do with delicious cheese!!:))))
 
Robyn
Robyn October 4, 2013
My recipe calls for toasting the rice crispies (only takes a minute) you get a nice crunch
 
cookie L.
cookie L. January 2, 2013
I don't think you need to worry too much about the Extra Sharp Cheese. For Cooking Cracker Barrel is good. I have served Cracker Barrel and gotten lots of comments on it!!
 
emcsull
emcsull December 29, 2012
what if I used blue cheese ? Where I am I can't really get decent sharp sharp cheese.
 
drbabs
drbabs December 29, 2012
I think you can use blue cheese, but if it's really creamy, you may need to add a bit more flour or cut back on the butter a bit or they may be crumbly. There was a question like this on the blue cheese savories, and the experience is that really soft blue cheese makes the savories more crumbly because of added fat. If you try it, please let us know how it works for you.
 
bluechefk
bluechefk July 28, 2012
do these keep? - as in, would they still be crispy the next day? probably a moot question, because they look so good, i can't imagine any being left the next day!!
 
drbabs
drbabs July 28, 2012
Yes! Just store them in an airtight container. (They are still good if they're a little mushy.)
 
betty888
betty888 February 26, 2012
Made these for a dinner party last night and they were wonderful. The only change I made - I omitted the paprika since I wasn't sure if my guests would like the flavor. Next time I would add it to half the recipe for variety. I would also sprinkle a bit of cheese on the top during the last few minutes of baking for an extra spot of cheesey flavor.
 
sarahlu
sarahlu January 2, 2012
YUM! Used my tiniest heart shaped cookie cutter. Topped with fresh cracked pepper and Parmesan, as well as paprika. These are like deluxe Cheezits. Thank you!
 
jcorney
jcorney December 27, 2011
These were a hit at my Christmas Day lunch. I doubled the cheese.
 
drbabs
drbabs December 27, 2011
so happy y'all liked them.
 
cookie L.
cookie L. December 27, 2011
Why try not Rolling the Dough into 2" Rolls - Wrap in Plastic Wrap, Chill or Freeze and then Slice into Rounds and Bake for better control of the shape?
 
drbabs
drbabs December 27, 2011
You could, but the concern is that the panko would not be crisp after being frozen. If you try that, please let us know if they have the same crunch.
 
drbabs
drbabs December 7, 2012
Just did that tonight and it worked out great.
 
Emilia R.
Emilia R. March 27, 2013
drbabs: I was going to ask if these can be made in advance, frozen, then reheated. I guess they can be frozen the way "cookie love" explained, then baked and served fresh. (I wonder if they could be baked from frozen, just adding more baking time...)
 
LeBec F.
LeBec F. December 19, 2011
p.s. appearance is best when they are brushed w/ egg+Salt glaze before baking or before freezing(they freeze very well.) They were a standard in my 30 yr. catering co. Better than any other cheese crisp i have had. old Gourmet recipe iirc.
 
LeBec F.
LeBec F. December 19, 2011
So interesting. As we speak, i am making my fav Flaky Cheese Hearts. Same as your mom's/your recipe but 3 c. grated x sharp cheddar, and 1. rice kispies in place of your sub'd panko, and 1 tsp cayenne instead of 1/2 tsp,and 1 tsp kosher salt, and no paprika. VERY cheesy; most addictive thing I know of-- for me, that is!!
hope you try them some time!
 
LeBec F.
LeBec F. December 19, 2011
So interesting. As we speak, i am making my fav Flaky Cheese Hearts. Same as your mom's/your recipe but 3 c. grated x sharp cheddar, and 1. rice kispies in place of your sub'd panko, and 1 tsp cayenne instead of 1/2 tsp,and 1 tsp kosher salt, and no paprika. VERY cheesy; most addictive thing I know of-- for me, that is!!
hope you try them some time!
 
drbabs
drbabs December 19, 2011
sounds wonderful. it's really all about the cheese. my mother's recipe calls for rice krispies and tabasco.
 
Bevi
Bevi December 19, 2011
Yum! These look luscious!
 
drbabs
drbabs December 19, 2011
Thanks, Bevi, and happy holidays!
 
lapadia
lapadia December 9, 2011
Love these drbabs, I have never had the Rice Krispie version. BTW - I gave your Horiatiki Salad a shoud in my "popper" contest entry:)
 
lapadia
lapadia December 9, 2011
"shout out" my comment ran under the pop up ad and I couldn't see what I was doing or not doing.
 
drbabs
drbabs December 9, 2011
:) Thanks, lapadia--they're a lot like your shortbread cookies!
 
boulangere
boulangere November 30, 2011
LOL! I grew up with "oleo" too. Your modifications are perfect. I can almost taste the crunch now. And the gluten-free version sounds just as good.