MOLARS (also known as Monet’s worst enemy). Friends, we’ve had an exhausting, tear-filled week. Lulu is working on her one-year molars, and the battle’s been a particularly painful one (for her and for me). Last night, she woke up to nurse EIGHT times. I felt like I had tunneled back to newborn days…until I tried to heft her now 21 pound body across my own.
But along with molars, kisses. Yes, Lucy now knows how to kiss, and her sweet lips pressing and smacking against my cheek melt my heart every single time. So we take the good with the bad.
Speaking of good…these homemade goldfish crackers impressed everyone in my household. Even my sweet mom asked me to make her a batch after she tried a few (and my mom is not a big snacker). “You should sell these,” she said.
And if I had any spare time, maybe I would! But instead, I’m just going to share them with you. These goldfish crackers taste FAR better than the ones you can buy in the store. Real sharp cheddar cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried herbs. The little ones and the older ones in your life will love them. I’m married to a jeweler, so with his tools it was easy for me to fashion a goldfish cutter out of a cheap and pliable circle fondant cuttter from my cake-decorating days. But really, these crackers taste just as good with or without the iconic shaping.
Homemade Goldfish Crackers
1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 1⁄8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 1⁄8 ounces) cake flour
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon cheese powder (this can be found at your local spice store)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Whisk together flours, herbs, salt, baking powder, and onion powder together in a large bowl. Fold in cheese and stir until evenly distributed and coated.
Add the milk and vegetable oil. Stir well and then knead in the bowl with your hands until a cohesive dough forms. It will be crumbly at first, but continue to press and knead the dough.
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment papers.
Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll the dough as thin as possible, no more than 1/8-inch thick. Thin dough leads to crisp crackers. Stamp out cracker shapes with your cookie cutter of choice.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the crackers are crispy and just turning golden at the edges. The timing will vary according to the size of your crackers.Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. These crackers will keep well for one week.
