Cheddar Cheese Crackers

cup whole-wheat or whole-wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (more as needed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup tightly packed grated sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup tightly packed grated Parmesan (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Sift together the flours, salt and sugar, and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the cheese, and pulse several times to distribute it evenly throughout the flour mixture. Turn on the food processor, and add the olive oil and eggs. Stop the machine when the dough comes together. It will be soft and somewhat sticky. If it seems very moist, add another tablespoon of flour and pulse until incorporated.

2. Lightly flour your hands and your work surface. Scrape out the dough and form two equal pieces. Shape into rounds, wrap in plastic and let rest for 15 minutes.

3. Roll out each piece of dough between pieces of lightly floured parchment. Cut into squares or rectangles, and place on the parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, switching the pans after the first 10 minutes from front to back and top to bottom. They will foam in the oven because of the cheese, but that will subside and they will bake crisply. The crackers are done when they are lightly browned. Remove from the oven, and cool on racks. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: About five dozen crackers.

Advance preparation: These crackers will keep for about a week in an airtight container.

Nutritional information per cracker: 28 calories; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 9 milligrams cholesterol; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 39 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein


Martha Rose Shulman is the author of "The Very Best of Recipes for Health."