Kids in the Kitchen: Homemade Goldfish Crackers

I love being the bestest Auntie ever!

I mean seriously people, being able to spoil your nieces and nephews and smoother them with love and letting them do cool things that their parents (aka your brother or sister and in-laws) won’t let them do is awesome!

On several recent visits to see my nephew, he kept asking for goldfish crackers as his snack. My sister doesn’t keep them in the house and so my freakin’ adorable nephew had to settle for dried fruit and yogurt. 

Well, since I love being the ‘cool’ Aunt, I decided that making Homemade Goldfish Crackers was a totally win/win situation.

Win for my nephew because he got his favorite snack.

Win for my sister, since this version of Goldfish Crackers are 100% homemade, with like real cheese.

And totally win for me, because my nephew had the biggest smile ever on his face as he snacked on his favorite snack and told me about his recent trip to the zoo.

Man, being the best Aunt ever is hard work but totally worth it!

Recipe Notes: These crackers are crispy and cheesy! This is a great recipe to make with kids. They can measure the ingredients, roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Since the shapes are small it does take some time to make but is well worth it. I used a fish shaped cookie cutter that I created (yes, I made my own tiny fish cookie cutter, inspired from here), but you can buy one here or you could use any small shape cookie cutter you wish. To save time you could even use a pizza cutter to cut into square shapes and create Homemade Cheez-It Crackers. Other things to keep in mind, is when rolling out the dough, a thinner dough will result in crisper crackers. I recommend cooking the crackers for less time at first, checking, and cooking longer if needed. Crackers are best eaten immediately but can be stored in an air tight container for a day or two, but may become soft.

One Year Ago: Baked Tilapia with Arugula and Pecan Pesto 
Two Years Ago: Tropical Sangria
Three Years Ago: Beef ‘n’ Bean Burrito Burgers 
Four Years Ago: Silky Mashed Taters, with Bacon

Homemade Goldfish Crackers 
Printable Version
Prep Time: 30-45 minutes Wait Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10-12 minutes Yields: approximately 50-60 crackers (depending on size and shape)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons water

Sift together flour and cornstarch.
Place all ingredients (including flour/cornstarch mixture), except water, in a food processor and pulse until the dough resembles coarse sand.
Add in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a cohesive dough forms.

Remove dough from food processor, wrap in plastic, and chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners.

Divide dough into 2 pieces. Refrigerate one piece of dough while you roll out the other piece. Place dough in between two large sheets of wax paper. Roll out dough into a thin piece, no more than 1/8-inch thick. (Thinner dough means crispier crackers; thicker dough means puffier, more bread-like crackers.)
Stamp out cracker shapes with desired cookie cutter of choice. Transfer shapes to prepared baking sheets.

Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, until crackers are crispy and golden around edges. Timing will vary according to size and shape of your crackers. Cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Crackers will soften when kept in an airtight container and best eaten immediately or within a day or two.

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen and Delish 

Other recipes you might enjoy:
Tortilla Crisps 
Sesame Crackers 
Homemade Tater Tots – Two Ways  
Carrot Fries 
Crunchy Zucchini Chips