When fall arrives, I immediately dream of college football, reading under a blanket, and having soup for dinner. When I think of eating soup, I think of crackers. And THAT thought leads me to this recipe. If you make these crackers even once you'll see how perfectly suited they are as a side snack for your bowl of soup goodness! This recipe comes from the classic California the Beautiful cookbook (one of my favorites!).

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste
1 cup coarsely-chopped pistachios

Place the grated cheese and butter in a food processor (or you can use a handheld mixer if you don't have a food processor).Blend well until it looks like a pasty clump! Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a different bowl and stir together. Add into the cheese mixture and blend.Stir in pistachios. Divide the dough in half and roll into logs. Wrap in plastic and chill. Feel free to make the dough days in advance of when you need the crackers. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.After chilling thoroughly, slice into 1/4 inch circles.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place circles on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes.Let cool on rack and serve. If you're storing the crackers, put them in an airtight container.Happy fall!! Enjoy.

Pistachio Cheese Crackers