The decade of the 1970s was a time of revolution in America, ranging from clothes to behavior to food. Follow the recipe below for Homemade Cheez-Its. Week 27 of Dave Raymond’s Modernity Course covers “The West Like the Rest: The Seventies and the End of Modernity.”
The seventies were not a great time for food in America. After entering WWII, many United States food companies invented ways to keep food fresh for the soldiers overseas, like using preservatives and packaging food in cans or plastic. When the war was over, the companies realized that with a little tweaking they could put these packaged foods on the public market.
Soon wholesome homemade food was sacrificed for the quick and easy packaged food. Junk food became the norm, and Mug-O-Lunch, snack chocolate pudding, Pop Rocks, Hubba Bubba gum, and Reese’s Pieces became hugely successful.
Cheez-Its were another snack food that took off in the seventies, although they had been around since 1921. After changing company hands several times, cereal giant Kellogg’s bought Cheez-Its and they own them to this day. Cheez-Its are still hugely popular and ranked as the best cracker on the market in many polls. Are they healthy? Definitely not. But they are incredibly delicious.
Homemade Cheez-Its
- I 1/2 c. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 3/4 c. Flour
- 4 tbsp. Butter, cut into cubes
*If you like you Cheez-Its spicy, add 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they form a ball. Place dough between two pieces of wax paper and roll into an 1/8” thick rectangle.
- Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife cut dough into squares about an inch big. Place on parchment lined baking sheets approximately 2” apart and poke with a toothpick or fork so they won’t puff up too much. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until puffed and slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool, then enjoy!
