Pecan Blue Cheese Crackers Recipes

BLUE-CHEESE-PECAN ICEBOX CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the pecans to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
• Add the flour to the ground pecans, pulse briefly to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cheese and process until the dough comes together and is well combined.
• Transfer dough to a clean work surface. Shape the dough into a 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Wrap the log with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice the well-chilled log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer slices to a baking sheet and bake immediately, rotating the sheet halfway through cooking, until the crackers are golden brown and firm in the center, 25 to 35 minutes. (The crackers should not get too dark around the edges.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool. The crackers may be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

SOUTHERN PECAN CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce until smooth and creamy.
• Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika, if you're using it. Beat well, scraping the sides.
• Add the cheddar cheese and beat well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Cover the dough and chill well, at least 2 or 3 hours or up to 3 days.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet 1 inch apart. Press the top of each ball with a fork (if the fork sticks, coat with flour).
• Place a pecan half on top of each wafer.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are quite brown.
• Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store covered on the counter. Best served within 2 days.
• Re-heating: I made these a day in advance as Thanksgiving appetizers. They lose a bit of their crunch by day 2, so I spread them out on baking sheets and baked at 350 for about 5 minutes until they got crispy again. Worked great!

CHEDDAR-PECAN CRISPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and cheese until light and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt, garlic powder and cayenne; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in pecans., Shape into eight 10-in. long logs. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges are crisp and lightly browned, 12-14 minutes. Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool. Refrigerate in airtight containers. Freeze option: Place wrapped logs in resealable plastic freezer bags; place in freezer. To use, unwrap frozen logs and cut into slices. If necessary, let dough stand 15 minutes at room temperature before cutting. Bake as directed, increasing time by 1-2 minutes.

CHEDDAR PECAN WAFERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the butter, Cheddar cheese, pecans, cayenne pepper and salt until well blended. Gradually mix in flour, using your hands to work in the last bit. The result will be a stiff dough much like shortbread. Form the dough into logs about 1 inch thick, and 10 inches long. Wrap each log in waxed paper, and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Unwrap the chilled logs of dough, and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds using a sharp knife. Place slices about 1 inch apart onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake for exactly 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm and slightly browned at the edges. Allow wafers to cool for 1 minute before removing from the pan.

BLUE CHEESE-PECAN ICEBOX CRACKERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place pecans on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool. Transfer pecans to the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely ground. Transfer ground pecans into a small bowl; set aside.
• Combine flour and pecans in the bowl of a food processor; pulse briefly to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese; process until dough comes together and is well combined.
• Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape dough into a 2-inch-wide log. Wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Slice chilled log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer slices to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake immediately, rotating once, until crackers are grolden brown and firm in the center, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Crackers may be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

BLUE CHEESE AND PECAN CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cheese, butter and pepper in medium bowl until just blended (some cheese should still be in separate pieces). Using rubber spatula, mix in flour, then chopped pecans. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Arrange rounds on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten to 2 1/2-inch rounds. Press pecan half onto each. Bake until golden on bottom and at edges, about 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool.

PECAN BLUE CHEESE CRACKERS

Steps:

• In a preheated 350°F oven toast 1/2 cup pecans, about 7 minutes, and cool. Finely chop toasted pecans and separate egg. In a bowl with a fork cream butter and Saga until smooth. Add egg yolk, stirring until combined well. Add flour and chopped pecans and stir until mixture just forms a dough.
• Halve dough and on separate sheets of wax paper form each half into a 12- by 1 1/4-inch log, using wax paper as a guide. Freeze logs, wrapped in wax paper, just until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. and lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.
• Cut logs crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange slices about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets. Top each cracker with a remaining pecan half, pressing slightly into dough. Brush tops of crackers, including pecans, with lightly beaten egg white. Bake crackers in batches, if necessary, in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden brown, about 12 minutes total. With a spatula transfer crackers to paper towels to blot and transfer to a rack to cool.