Ina Garten Always Makes This Chipotle Cheddar Crackers Recipe for Guests, So Naturally, I Had to Try It

The recipe starts with softened butter, and thankfully, I remembered to leave out a stick the morning I made the crackers. The cheddar required grating, and while Ina recommends using the grating disk on your food processor, mine was out of commission, so I used a box grater. The rest of the ingredients were pantry staples, aside from the chipotle chili powder (although I suspect you could substitute any other chili powder if you wanted).

Ingredients
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ pound aged Cheddar, such as Grafton 2-year, grated
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground chipotle powder
Kosher salt
Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

After gathering my ingredients, I followed Ina’s directions to basically dump everything into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix, first on low to avoid a cloud of flour puffing out of the bowl, then on medium just until the dough formed large clumps.

I was glad I read the directions beforehand, since it calls for adding 1½ tablespoons water during the mixing process. Could you make this recipe without a stand mixer? Probably—since the butter is softened, I could see using a silicone spatula and a mixing bowl with success.

Once the dough was formed, I turned it out onto a lightly floured cutting board and rolled it into a 12-inch log. (Did I use a ruler? Yes. Do you need to? Again, probably not.) Then I wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill—Ina says give it at least an hour.

I let my dough chill for about 2 hours, then preheated the oven to 350°F and started slicing the dough into half-inch disks per the instructions. Ina says she often dips her paring knife into warm water to make this step easier, but I didn’t find that necessary. (Could it be that my oven was raising the temperature of my kitchen to blazing hot levels and causing the dough to soften on its own? Likely.)

I lined two baking sheets with parchment paper and arranged the dough disks evenly between them. The recipe calls for sprinkling the crackers with flaky sea salt, so I used the Maldon that I keep by my stove. I think these would also be tasty with freshly ground black pepper on top, or another type of salt (like smoked sea salt, to bring out the chipotle flavor).

I popped the crackers into the oven to bake for the indicated 15 to 17 minutes, and here’s where I think I went astray: Instead of baking one sheet at a time, I tried to knock it out all in one go and simply rotate the trays halfway through the baking time. (It was hot in my kitchen, and I wanted to be done.) But by 17 minutes, the crackers were nowhere near golden brown at the edges, so I ended up having to baking each tray for about five minutes more (and I think they could’ve gone longer still).

The Final Verdict: Worth It?

Do I think Garten’s chipotle cheddar crackers recipe is worth making over buying store-bought crackers? Sure…if you have the time and/or freezer space. The texture reminded me of a flaky pie crust, while the flavor gave hints of Cheez-It or even cheddar biscuit. But if I’m being honest, I didn’t think they were life-changing—and I’m the biggest Ina-head I know. They’d be tasty on a charcuterie board or as a standalone appetizer for a summer dinner party menu, and admittedly, I probably ate six throughout the afternoon, but I don’t think they’re Ina’s strongest recipe (and I still think that baking time is wildly off). Since I can barely remember to take a stick of butter out to soften, I’ll probably still be picking up a box of crackers at the grocery store.

However, if you want to talk about the Barefoot Contessa’s black and white cookies, you know where to find me.