Ingredients:

  • 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp ice water

Instructions:

  1. Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold, cubed butter and the freshly grated cheese. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with pea-sized bits of fat remaining.
  2. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time while pulsing. Stop as soon as the dough begins to clump together into a ball. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until approximately 1/8 inch thick. Use a pastry wheel or pizza cutter to cut into 1-inch squares.
  4. Use a toothpick to dock a hole in the center of each square to prevent puffing. Transfer on parchment to a baking sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes until edges are mahogany-gold and centers are firm.