Deep-fried Goldfish cracker shooters are the very best way to eat tomato soup

Goldfish crackers and tomato soup — is there any food pairing that brings you back to your childhood more vividly?

Goldfish crackers were a snack time staple growing up, and a bowl of tomato soup — condensed, of course — often graced our lunch table. So when I saw Tym Bussanich’s insane deep-fried Goldfish cracker shooters full of tomato soup on Instagram, I knew I had to make my own.

https://instagram.com/p/5iCB9RHKb5/
I wanted a flaky but crispy, intensely cheesy Goldfish shooter to hold my soup. The dough I made is similar to what you might make empanadas with, but I subbed in pulverized cheddar Goldfish for some of the flour and added a bunch of sharp cheddar cheese along with a bit of Asiago for extra flavor.

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Shaping the dough was a little tricky. You want the walls of your shooter to be thin so they get crispy, but getting the dough to cooperate was proving difficult. The solution? Shape your dough inside a plastic wrap-lined shot glass, then freeze for at least an hour. Once the Goldfish cracker shooters are frozen, they’re easy to pull out of the shot glasses, and they retain their shape when frying.

More:12 Perfect pairings with Campbell’s Tomato Soup

The result? Cheesy, salty, crisp yet flaky Goldfish cracker shooters that are more than up to the job of holding your favorite tomato soup.

Goldfish cracker shooters with tomato soup recipe

Cheesy, crispy Goldfish cracker shooters are the perfect vessels for your tomato soup in this fun recipe.

Yields 18

Prep time: 1 hour | Inactive time: 2 hours | Cook time: 25 minutes | Total time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup crushed cheddar Goldfish crackers (from about 3/4 of a bag)
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup ice water
• 3 quarts canola oil
• 1 quart tomato soup

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the Goldfish crumbs, flour and salt. Pulse to mix.
2. Add the cheddar, Asiago cheese and butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. With the machine running, drizzle in the ice-cold water just until the dough comes together — it should be pulling away from the sides of the food processor. The texture will be slightly more springy and wetter than pie dough, but not sticky.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let chill for 1 hour.
5. Line your shot glasses with plastic wrap. Grab a bit of dough about the size of a Ping-Pong ball, and make a depression in the center with your thumb while using your fingers to slightly thin the walls. Press this dough into a lined shot glass, continuing to press and thin the walls of the shooter until the dough reaches the top of the shot glass. Trim the excess dough.
6. Freeze the dough-filled shot glasses for an hour or until solid.
7. In the meantime, in a heavy-bottomed pan with tall sides, heat the canola oil to 365 degrees F.
8. Remove your Goldfish cracker shooters from the shot glasses, and remove the plastic wrap. Fry them in batches, taking care to not overcrowd the pan, until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes.
9. Remove the shooters from the oil, and let drain on paper towels. For extra flavor, you can sprinkle them with some salt as soon as you take them out of the oil.
10. For any shooters that don’t stand up on their own, take a very sharp knife, and shave a thin slice from the bottom so it’s flat.
11. Set your Goldfish cracker shooters upright, and fill with your favorite tomato soup.

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