Cappy's Favorite Cheese Crackers

Every year and only once a year, I make these cheese crackers, and let me tell you it was purely by mistake that I found out my dog Cappy just loves them. Cappy (not to mention my other dogs Senny and Little Man), my friends and family wait eagerly for them. The funny part is that these crackers are so easy to make that I am almost embarrassed to give out my recipe. It has been my little trade secret for a long time, but seeing that it is a special time of year, I am in a generous mood and wanted to share something very extraordinary with all my readers. It's holiday time, and if you happen to take these to a New Year's party, I promise you will be the star.

When making these crackers, it is important to remember that you are going to split your dough/batter into two batches: one with the spices for your friends and one plain for the dogs. These treats are also great for cats because they love cheese. So, if you have friends that have both dogs and cats, you only have to make one treat for everyone. This is the one gift suitable to bring to a party where there are both people and pets.

Cappy's Favorite Cheese Crackers

Preheat oven to 350°

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
• 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons salt

The next two ingredients are only added to the batch for your friends:

• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• A few drops of Tabasco, or any flavor hot sauce you prefer; there are so many on the market today that it's fun to try different flavors.

Directions

This could not be any easier, and I am sure you will agree.

1. Gather all your ingredients, except the chili pepper flakes and the hot sauce, and put them all into a food processor or blender. Blend them until your dough is smooth.
2. Reserve half the dough for the pets. Note: Make sure you keep the spicy and plain batches separate. You could use two different colored bowls, or two different sized bowls. This way you won't inadvertently mix up the batches.
3. Add the pepper flakes and hot sauce of your choice to the batch for your human friends. I personally love to use one of the new smoky flavored hot sauces because it outs such a great spin on the cheddar flavor.
4. Once you have your dough the consistency you want it to be, roll it into a log. Refrigerate the log for at least two hours so it becomes stiff enough to cut.
5. After the dough has set, take it out and slice it very thinly.
6. Arrange the slices on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and bake for ten minutes until golden brown.
7. Remove the tray from the oven and let the crackers cool completely on a baking rack. Make sure that you let them dry out completely.

Once the crackers have cooled, they can be frozen for up to a month, or they can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to two weeks. I promise that once your friends and pets taste these crackers, you will be the hit of the party!

More Tips from Wendy

• Holiday Traveling with Your Dog
• Holiday Dog Place Mats