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1
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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2
Coarsely grate the cheddar cheese, and transfer it to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
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3
Cut the two sticks of butter into sixteen pieces, and scatter the pieces over the cheese.
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4
Let the cheese and butter soften.
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5
Place the pecans in one layer on a baking sheet, and toast them in the oven until they are a shade darker and fragrant, 7 to 8 minutes.
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6
While the nuts are still warm, transfer them to a medium bowl and toss with the remaining tablespoon of butter (the hot nuts will melt the butter) and salt to taste.
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7
Cool the nuts completely, then finely chop.
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8
Add the chopped pecans, flour, a pinch of salt, cayenne, and black pepper to the bowl of the mixer, and beat the ingredients at medium speed until the mixture pulls together into a dough, about 2 minutes.
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9
Divide the dough into eight pieces.
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10
On a sheet of waxed paper, roll each piece of the dough into a log 1 inch in diameter, and wrap the logs tightly in waxed paper and foil.
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11
Chill the logs for at least 8 hours and up to 1 week.
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12
The dough will keep frozen for 2 months.
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13
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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14
Working with one log at a time, cut the log crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, and arrange the slices 1/2 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
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15
Bake the crisps in batches until they are golden and just firm to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes.
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16
Cool the wafers on the baking sheet.
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17
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the wafers will keep for up to 4 days.
