Yesterday in Austin we had rolling blackouts, which sound kind of fun but aren't unless you count having your electricity turned off at random as "fun". The city's blackouts were estimated to be up to 1 hour each, while my electric co-op's blackouts were supposed to be only 10 minutes. Hooray for that, but to be safe I needed a recipe that would hold up even if the oven shut off. With a bake time of only 10 seconds, the Rooster's Famous Fire Crackers recipe from Shirley Corriher's book Bakewise was perfect.
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Only Three Ingredients
These super-cheesy crackers are similar to those made by a gourmet store in North Carolina called “Rooster’s”. They're peppery, cheesy, crisp and call for only 3 ingredients. They're also our new favorite snack food. Fuzz had a whole plate after school.
How to Make the Firecrackers (or Fire Crackers)
The recipe seems incredibly simplistic, but the magic is in the baking method. You cover the crackers with an even layer of cheese, bake at a high heat for 10 seconds, then let the crackers dry out in the oven for 2 hours. The fat from the cheese melts into the crackers. This makes them crisp and flaky, while the cheese flavor intensifies as it dries out and becomes crunchy. Timing is crucial, so before you use all that good cheese, you might want to do a test run with a small batch.
I did everything wrong the first time. I used foil (which is shiny) and shredded cheese instead of grated. The shredded cheese wasn't problematic. And while my first batch was slightly overcooked, that might have been due in part to my oven rather than the foil. Still, Shirley recommends using a dull grey or brown pan.
I made two batches (both with foil) and found the perfect temp for my oven was actually 450 F.
Changing Peppers & Seasonings
These were such a hit I feel like buying all kinds of cheese and trying new flavors. Fuzz and I both liked the version where we added a little smoked paprika, but I think it might be fun to incorporate pizza seasoning or pepitas or maybe stick a pecan in the center of each cracker. I also want to try with white cheddar, since I saw another version of the crackers made that way.
Fat Free Saltines & Good Cheddar Cheese
I still make these (2024) and have used different cheeses. Fat Free Saltines are what Bakewise calls for, but I've made these many times with regular Saltines and they are just fine. If you are buying crackers for the sole purpose of making these, go with the fat free. Make sure you use a full fat cheese, of course.
Recipe
Rooster's Famous Fire Crackers
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a pinch or two of paprika
- 40 Saltines, fat free or regular or just regular Saltines
- 10 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese grated fine
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the center and preheat oven to 475ºF. In some ovens you may find you need to use 425F or 450F.
- Spray a non-shiny 10x15-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray and arrange crackers in rows so that crackers are touching each other. Alternatively, you may line the pan with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle pepper flakes over crackers.
- Bake for exactly 10 seconds, then turn the oven off.
- Leave in the oven for at least 2 hours with the door closed. The hot oven melts and browns the cheese, producing an even coating of crisp brown cheese. The fat from the cheese soaks into the crackers and puffs them slightly. The cheese should be kind of a dark, brownish-orange. If it’s completely brown, the crackers are probably burnt.
Kim says
I made two pans of these today; one with Old Bay seasoning,and one with Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill chipoltle seasoning, both with sharp cheddar cheese. They came out GREAT. They were so easy, that I'll definitely be making them again.
Claudia says
I made these today with Cracker Barrel white cheddar and ground cayenne pepper. You're right, Anna. They are addictive. I could've eaten the entire pan! I'm looking forward to trying the recipe with some other cheeses and spices--maybe a smoked mozzarella and chipotle power or parmesan and garlic...
Janice says
Anna,
These look so good but alas I didn't have any cheese;-(
I googled firecracker crackers and came up with this:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/alabama-fire-crackers/Detail.aspx
For these I did have all the ingredients (BTW, who doesn't have cheese in their fridge? ME!)
Anyhow, I really had my doubts but these are surprisingly tasty~and oh so easy. I'm sure with all the oil (at least it's unsaturated) they aren't very healthy, but a truly easy snack for a summer BBQ.
Was thinking of you last week as our Dis bus passed BLT;-)
Jennifer says
BTW, forgetting them and leaving them in the oven overnight actually worked out! I think if it had been humid out (rather than the dry heat we have from running the furnace) they might not have, though.
Louise says
I have some Cabot Cheddar Shake. I'll try it with that when I buy some Fat Free Saltines. I usually only have Wasabröd in the house. Hmmm, I have matzos. I bet they will work too. 🙂
Linda says
These sound yummy and it's perfect timing for superbowl! I'm going to make a batch and bring it to the party! Thanks for the recipe!
Jennifer says
I made these last night. But crap! guess where they are right now?
Still in my oven!
I totally forgot about them after I turned the oven off!
Hopefully they'll be okay when I get home from work this afternoon.
Taste of Cuba says
I bet these would be great mixed with some spicy Texas chili.
Amanda says
10 seconds? That's awesome, and these sound great, never heard of them either!
Tia says
I've heard of these but haven't tried them yet. I"m going to include them in my copycat club round up on the 7th k? Thanks!!!
City Share says
These are intriguing. I guess they are like homemade cheez-its. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Sue says
This sounds like a good recipe for my college age son and his roommates!
Foodporncess says
My North Carolina cousins make these all the time. The one time I tried to do it, they caught fire in the oven. Oops! They sure are good though.
Fallon says
The rolling blackouts were not fun!!! I'm in El Paso right now and it happened about 8-9 times yesterday. We finally had power back and were making a chicken soup with sweet potatoes. Then the power went out, waiting 40 minutes till power came back. Let the soup cooked and it was finally done.. bam again the lights went out! So we ate dinner in the candlelight. It was actually kind of a nice change. 😉
TxPepper says
I actually prefer fat-free saltines as I find them much more crunchy and as a bonus, they don't become rancid quiet as fast as regular. I've been eating them for years. Brand wise, I buy Nabisco.
I can't wait to try these when my kitchen reno is finished....some time in the yet to be determined future. 🙂
Stay warm!
Pepper
Katrina says
I just bought a Costco size bag of mozzarella-wonder how that would be?
vanillasugarblog says
oh that sounds so good! so addicting!
Steph@PlainChicken says
very interesting - I will have to pick up some fat free saltines and cheese the next time I go to the store. I would love these!
Anna says
Mrsblock -- I'd never heard of them either.
Susan, she recommends Zesta Fat Free but I just used Nabisco.
Susan says
Those sound great - making them today, assuming I can find fat free saltines (I have never seen them before).
mrsblocko says
I've never heard of these crackers. They sound delicious!