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pale ale crackers

Course: Appetizer | Beer Style: Pale Ale

Cheddar Cheese Pale Ale Crackers

Recipe from the Beer Bitty for homemade cheddar cheese crackers made with your favorite pale ale.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes | Yield: 6 - 8

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 to 4 Tbsp pale ale, placed in freezer for 10 minutes

    • Directions

    1. To make these pale ale crackers, fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. On low speed, mix together cheese, butter and salt until well combined.
    2. Add the flour and continue mixing until small pea-sized pieces form, then slowly add one tablespoon of pale ale at a time until the dough begins to form into a ball (not all of the beer may be needed).
    3. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
    4. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    5. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle. Cut dough into 1-inch squares using a fluted pastry wheel or pizza cutter.
    6. To create the trademark hole in the center, use the back of a wooden skewer. Transfer crackers to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a bit of space between each one.
    7. Bake on the center rack for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and beginning to brown at the edges. Transfer crackers to a wire rack to cool. Crackers will become crispy and flaky once fully cooled.

    Heather Lewis is the author of BeerBitty.com, a recipe website dedicated to cooking with beer. She fell in love with craft beer and cooking while living in San Francisco and frequenting Toronado. When work moved her to San Diego and Austin, she immersed herself in the local beer cultures to learn as much about the trade as possible. In 2012, she left her job as a sales analyst to pursue a career in the craft beer industry. She currently lives in NYC with her basset hound where she is the Operations Manager at Brooklyn Brewery. She spends her free time in the kitchen, traveling as much as possible, and seeking out new breweries.

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