Homemade Cheez-Its

Whenever one gets an email from the jeune fille in New York it refreshes the spirit like a spring romp in clover. Our Madeline (not the storybook character in the old house in Paris, but there are similarities) sent the briefest of messages, but there was a deeper message therein, and bless her, a web link. She wrote:
 you should try this because i want to and can't.

She found a story by Casey Barber about the quality of commercially made Cheez-Its, and a recipe for making your own. Madeline showed true culinary curiosity by sending the message, so I assigned myself one batch of Homemade Cheez-Its, to report back on whether it works.

I have no Cheez-Its photo to post today. I ate the evidence (well, froze half the dough, because I wanted to know if THAT WORKS, too, in case friends drop in and you need a quick nibble at the ready). Don't you think the orangey pansies work just fine suggesting a nice sharp cheddar line of thinking?

The recipe does work, and offers a good product you can use by itself, as an appetizer or as an alternate to croutons in a salad. There's a good crunch and good hint of cheese flavor. Think about adding a touch of cayenne for a slight bite.

Can you make these in a dorm room: Yes, if you have a hand-held mixer and a chopstick.