Classic Snacks Made from Scratch (9 page)

YIELD:
about 20 dozen chips

TOTAL TIME:
30 minutes

DIFFICULTY:
3

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
electric deep fryer (or a large pot large and a candy/oil thermometer), spice grinder or mini food processor, heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer

canola or vegetable oil for frying

1 package 6-inch corn tortillas

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese powder (see
page 12
)

1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (see
page 12
)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon citric acid (see
page 13
)

1 pinch cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat at least 2 inches of oil to 350°F in an electric deep fryer or large, high-sided pot. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and an upside-down wire cooling rack (see Deep Frying 101,
page 188
).

Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles (cut into quarters, then cut each quarter in half).

Grind all the remaining ingredients together in a spice grinder or mini food processor. Pour the powdered mixture into a gallon-size zip-top bag.

Fry the chips in batches until golden brown. Frying time will vary based on your equipment, but should not take more than 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the lined baking sheet with heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer to cool completely (about 10 minutes).

Once all the chips are cool, place in the zip-top bag and shake to coat lightly with the seasoning powder. Remove the chips from the bag and return to the wire rack, shaking gently to remove excess powder if necessary.

These chips taste best the day they’re made.

A lot of this book’s development consisted of me complaining about how to make each snack look as identical as possible to its store-bought counterpart, and I apologize to everyone who’s heard me whine. I’ve also got to give thanks to fellow recipe developer Amber Bracegirdle, who came up with the inventive shaping solution you see below. I might complain a lot, but I also listen to great ideas!

YIELD:
about 3 dozen filled pretzels

TOTAL TIME:
3 hours, including dough rising time

DIFFICULTY:
4

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
food processor

CHEESE FILLING

3 ounces (about 3/4 cup) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) crumbled feta cheese

2 teaspoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

PRETZELS

1-1/2 cups (6⅜ ounces) bread

flour 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast (not active dry or rapid-rise)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup warm water

POACHING LIQUID

4 cups (1 quart) water

1/4 cup baked soda (see
page 12
)

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

TOPPING

1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

1 tablespoon pretzel salt or coarse sea salt

MAKE THE CHEESE FILLING:

Blend the cheeses, cream, sugar, salt, mustard powder, and garlic powder in a food processor until a smooth paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, covered, while you make the pretzels.

MAKE THE PRETZELS:

Stir the flour, brown sugar, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl, then stir in the warm water until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. The dough should feel smooth and satiny.

Spritz a large, clean bowl with cooking spray or grease lightly with vegetable oil and place the dough inside. Spritz or grease a piece of plastic wrap and cover the bowl. Let the dough rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a clean, unfloured work surface and press into a rough 8-inch square. Slice the rectangle into 8 strips that are each 1 inch wide. Stretch each strip slightly to 12 inches in length and cut into pieces a little more than 1 inch long. (You should get 10 to 11 pieces from each strip.)

Roll each dough piece into a thin rope (no more than 1/8 inch thick) and twist it into a ring (like a small bagel or oversized Cheerio) approximately 1 inch in diameter. Make sure the ring’s center hole is fairly large, since you’ll be stuffing it with cheese once it’s been baked. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the dough has been turned into rings.

Freeze the rings for 1 hour.

POACH AND BAKE:

Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare the poaching liquid. Bring the 4 cups water to a simmer in a large, wide saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the baked soda and brown sugar and stir until dissolved. The water will foam slightly.

Gently drop the rings into the simmering water, a few at a time, and poach for 10 seconds. Remove using a slotted spoon or metal skimmer and return the rings to the baking sheets. If any of the pretzel holes have closed up, stretch them gently to reopen (you’ll need to fill these holes with cheese, so make sure they’re fairly wide).

Brush the poached pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle with the pretzel salt or sea salt. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pretzels are fully hardened, dark brown, and glossy. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

FILL THE PRETZELS:

Scoop a small amount of chilled cheese filling onto a mini spatula and swipe it across the flat (bottom) side of a cooled pretzel so that it presses through the hole. Repeat to fill all the pretzels.

Combos are best eaten the day they’re made: after a night in the refrigerator, they tend to get soggy.

They say people start to look like their pets after a while, but I think our pets are starting to eat like us. Case in point: my tubby kitty Harry, who has developed an affinity for cheese powder. He’s learned to recognize the crackly sound of the cheese curl bag and comes running to lick the residue off our fingers (if we let him). Yes, I gave him a taste of a homemade Cheeto after I developed this recipe. Yes, it was the best thing to happen to him all day.

YIELD:
about 9 dozen cheese curls

TOTAL TIME:
1-1/2 hours, including dough chilling time

DIFFICULTY:
2

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
stand mixer, spice grinder or mini food processor

CHEESE CURLS

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup (4-1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons yellow cornmeal

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, finely shredded (about 1 cup)

CHEESE COATING

2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese powder (see
page 12
)

1/2 teaspoon buttermilk powder (see
page 12
)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

MAKE THE CHEESE CURLS:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, salt, and garlic powder at medium-low speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, cornmeal, and shredded cheese. Stir together at low speed until a firm dough forms. Shape into a disc and place on a large sheet of plastic wrap; wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners.

Pinch off small pieces of the chilled dough and gently roll between your palms and fingers to form lumpy logs roughly 2 to 2-1/2 inches long and 1/4 to 1/2 inch across. Place on the prepared baking sheets—you can space them fairly close together because they won’t puff up while baking.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pieces are no longer shiny and are just beginning to brown around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

ADD THE COATING:

Place the cheese powder, buttermilk powder, salt, and cornstarch in a spice grinder or mini food processor and whir for 10 to 15 seconds to blend evenly. Transfer to a large zip-top bag. Add the cooled Cheetos, seal, and shake gently to coat evenly.

Store the coated cheese curls at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

I know I’m not alone with this confession: a bowl of popcorn = my dinner on many a night, especially when no one else is around to shame me. It’s way more filling than you’d think, especially when tossed with copious amounts of butter and cheese. This version is a dead ringer for the so-called “healthy” cheese popcorn you find in the snack aisle, but could most certainly pass for dinner as well. I won’t judge. Rather than making fresh popcorn for the recipe, you can easily substitute 10 cups plain popped corn for the oil and kernels.

YIELD:
about 10 cups

TOTAL TIME:
20 minutes

DIFFICULTY:
1

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
spice grinder or mini food processor

CHEESE TOPPING

2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese powder (see
page 12
)

1/2 teaspoon buttermilk powder (see
page 12
)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cornstarch or rice flour

POPCORN

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon yellow or white popcorn kernels

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the Cheddar powder, buttermilk powder, salt, and cornstarch or rice flour in a spice grinder or mini food processor and whir for 10 to 15 seconds to blend evenly. Set aside.

Pour the vegetable oil into a 3 or 4-quart heavy-bottomed stockpot and add 2 or 3 of the popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and heat over medium heat until you hear 1 or 2 of the kernels pop. Add the remaining kernels in an even layer and cover again. Cook, shaking gently and frequently to evenly distribute the hot oil among the kernels as they pop. Remove from the burner once the popping sounds slow to a crawl. Transfer the cooked popcorn to a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat; don’t let it bubble or spurt. Pour the butter over the popcorn and toss to evenly combine. (I find it easiest to use 2 same-size bowls and place one over the other to form a dome, then shake between them.) Add the cheese topping to the buttered popcorn and
toss or shake to combine.

Store the popcorn at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

Do me a favor, OK? Go buy a package of these obscenely orange crackers. Pull one apart so you’ve got a cracker without any of the sweet peanut butter filling stuck to its underside. Close your eyes. Now eat it. Where’s the damn Cheddar? Where is it? The stupid thing could be a Ritz or a Club cracker for all you know.

The misleading name of the crackers—and their unnatural tint—has made me suspicious of them all my life, but my husband plows through stacks of them like they were candy (and he loves candy). Dan, these are for you: please eat them, even though they don’t glow.

YIELD:
about 30 filled crackers

TOTAL TIME:
1 hour

DIFFICULTY:
2

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
stand mixer (optional), food processor, fluted pastry cutter

CRACKERS

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 cups (8-1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon Cheddar cheese powder (see
page 12
)