aged cheddar, cranberry & pecan crackers

Savory. Very savory. I loved these little cheesy critters immensely. I almost want to call it a cheese shortbread; so thick and rich. The tartness of the cranberries melded so well with the aged cheddar. Plus I added in some roasted nuts. You simply must try these if you are a lover of cheese crackers. I did make these once using craisins and I was so very sorry I did; I just don't like the taste of craisins, they don't taste like cranberries to me. But feel free to use whatever you like, even raisins might go well in here. These go great with a nice cold glass of white wine.
Are these a cracker or a cookie? Maybe even a savory shortbread nib. Who knows, they are delish. Perfect for upcoming summer parties.

cheddar & cranberry cookies/crackers
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1 & 1/2 sticks butter, room temp.
1 1/2 cups extra old (at least 3 years old) cheddar, finely grated
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/2 cup rough chopped dried cranberries
(I also used a dash of half & half as the dough was really dry)

Cream the butter and cheese together at high speed in your stand mixer. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Combine flour mixture, nuts and cranberries with the butter mixture on high. (there is where I added in the dash of h&h)
Turn dough out onto a large piece of waxed paper. Roll the dough into a log shape, roll the paper around it and twist the ends shut. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can freeze the dough at this stage as well.
When ready to bake; preheat oven to 375F.
Unwrap the dough log and, using a very sharp knife, slice the log into rounds 1/2 cm thick. Place rounds on cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Should make about 30.