Monday, January 23, 2012

Homemade Goldfish Crackers

This week we are planning a trip to the aquarium so all of our activities, lessons, etc are based around fish :)  This was actually a really fun week to plan because I had a real theme which includes a field trip.  So to kick off the week we baked which is one of our favorite things to do together.

So what better thing to bake then one of Ava's favorite snacks............GOLDFISH!!!!

I found this recipe on pinterest and it looked easy enough plus how can you go wrong with cheese.  

To start we had to make our own cookie cutter using a soda can.  Ours wasn't perfect but Ava wasn't in a patient perfectionist mood.  In fact I'm slowly learning that stopping to take nice pretty pictures of our baking endeavors isn't so easy.  Ava will just move right on whether we are ready or not so I only really have time for quick snapshots and I have to hope they turn out.

Cut a thin strip of aluminum
 Fold into a fish shape and tape together
 The cast of characters
 Of course the always needed handy helper
 Pulse all ingredients in the food processor.  Ava liked getting to push the button.
 My food processor is small so I had to split the batch and then combine in a mixing bowl.
 Then we wrapped the dough in saran wrap and put it in the fridge to chill.

 Then I remembered we had some goldfish so I thought I'd get it out and look at the ingredients.
Baked with real cheese?!?!?!  I'd hope so.
 The ingredients aren't bad (I've seen worse things) but the list does seem long.
 Ready to roll.  We use this pampered chef pizza dough roller instead of a traditional roller because it's easier for Ava to handle.
 Cut out the fishy shapes
 Place them on a cookie sheet.  We have a blue silicone mat so when Ava was placing the fish on the mat she pretended she was putting them in the water.  At one point they were even being chased by sharks.
 Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
 A closer look
 They are yummy and from all the reviews I read they get even better the next day.

The recipe................I simplified it a bit from the original for a basic cheese flavor but next time I may experiment a bit with seasonings and cheese.


Goldfish Crackers
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into cubes
  • 8 ounce package grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2T-4T cold water (add one T at a time in case you don't need it all)
Directions
  1. Pulse the flour, salt, butter, and cheese using a food processor until it is combined.
  2. Pulse in 2 to 4 tablespoons of water one tablespoon at a time.  You may not need it all.  You need just enough to be able to form the dough into a ball.
  3. Roll out and cut into shapes.  The thinner you roll it the crispier they will be. 
  4. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
  5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until they look crispy.  
**Hint--they get better the longer they rest.