Homemade Goldfish Crackers

I’ve recently discovered Pinterest, an online bulletin board that allows you to “pin” things that are of interest. To say it is addicting is a bit of an understatement. I have found myself lost in exploration of DIY home projects, crafts, recipes, fashion and so much more.

When I saw a recipe for homemade goldfish crackers, I knew immediately it was something I wanted to share with Miss B (aka Zebra Girl as she likes to be referred to these days). And she anxiously agreed to try them out because 1) she loves goldfish crackers and 2) “they are SO CUTE.”

Here’s the simple list of ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 8 ounces (2 cups) grated Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. Pulse the dry ingredients together using a food processor.
2. Add the butter and cheese, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Pulse in 3 to 4 tablespoons of water until the dough forms a ball.
4. Remove, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes (we put it in the freezer for 20 minutes and in the fridge for 10 minutes).

 

Mix it all together VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

While the dough is chilling, it’s time to make the goldfish cutter. You’ll need an old pop can, scissors and tape.

First, cut a half-inch to 1 inch-thick strip of aluminum from the can (this might take a couple tries until you can get a straight line.) Form the aluminum (approx. 6-8 inches) into a circle and tape together the overlapping ends with scotch tape. Then bend the circle into a goldfish shape with your fingers…there’s no precise method to this, just keep shaping it until it looks like a goldfish.

As an added precaution, I wrapped the goldfish cutter with tape so the edges wouldn’t be too sharp. As my husband lovingly reminded me, I don’t have the best track record with sharp objects lately.

EZPZ Goldfish Cutter VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

No comes the fun part (or at least it was fun at the beginning…it quickly turned into tedious work)…making the goldfish. You’ll need to roll out the dough to approx. 1/8 inch thick (use flour as needed to avoiding sticking). Then start cutting out goldfish (…after goldfish…after goldfish…)

Roll and Cut VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We had enough to fill 2 baking pans lined with silicone baking mats (you can also use parchment paper). To add character to the fish, you can add eyes and smiles with a toothpick.

Happy Little Goldfishes VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

Bake the goldfish  crackers in a 350 degree oven until golden and crisp (13-18 minutes). Cool and then dive in…

The results of our goldfish cooking experiment were mixed…actually everyone really liked them, except Miss B (go figure).

They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week (although I’m sure they won’t last that long in our house).