Tag Archives: crackers

Fruit and Nut Crackers

Ready to bring your app game to the next level? I thought so.

First I just have to say….Whoa! That was a long break. But, let’s leave the excuses for later and get right back into it because we’re fully into summer and you have mouths to feed and people to impress. Enter, homemade crackers.

Crackers are a go-everywhere, anytime win to have in your snack arsenal. I seem to have posted quite a few over the years (see Everyone Crackers and my recently rediscovered crush, Paleo Crackers. I have long dreamed of making those expensive fruit and nut crackers that I hoover down when they appear at any spread, but never tried to make them.

Well friends, the wait is over. With the recipe below, from Crowded Kitchen I became a near-instant pro. Here’s why this recipe is a Bring It! all star:

  • First, it is easy—add everything to one bowl mix it up and bake it in a loaf pan.
  • Second, it is not time sensitive. Once you bake the loaf and it cools you can keep the loaves wrapped in the freezer until you’re ready to slice and finish them with the second bake.
  • Third, but really first, these crackers are deLISH!

For bonus territory, they are eminently customizable, and a true “love the one you’re with” situation as far as what you use for the dried fruits and nuts or seeds. My first attempts were with dried apricots and golden raisins for the fruit, walnuts sliced almonds and pumpkin seeds for the nuts. My second version had a different mix and equally as good. Pick your own adventure. Same goes for the type of milk (I used almond milk because I had it) and sweetener (I used maple syrup because it’s kind of the law around here.

SOME EDIE NOTES, as ever: The recipe calls for using two mini loaf pans which I will likely never own. Alternatively, I used one regular loaf pan and cut the loaf in half to make—ta-da!— two mini loaves. I did the cutting in half (with a sharp serrated knife!) after the loaf was completely cool but it could also happen after it is frozen. I like my way because then you can leave one mini-loaf frozen and only need to commit to one loaf’s worth of crackers (for me about 38) at a time. Also, the original recipe does not say to spray the lined pans with cooking spray, but not all parchment paper is created equally. Spraying them assures the paper will easily peel off.

That’s it!

  • Total Time: 4 hours (breathe! most of it is inactive)
  • Yield: It depends but I got 38 out of each half loaf. Original recipe says 52. Points to me for thin slices.

Gourmet Fruit and Nut Crackers

Originally from Crowded Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3/4 cup dried fruit, chopped (apricots, figs, dates, raisins, cherries, etc)
  • 3/4 cup nuts or seeds, chopped (pecans, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds etc)
  • 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest
  • 1 cup milk of choice (we used oat milk, but any kind works)
  • 1/4 cup honey

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two mini loaf pans (~5 1/2” x 3 1/4”) or one regular sized loaf pan (~8 1/2” x 4 1/2”) with parchment paper. Spray them to make your life easier.
  2. Add both flours, baking soda, salt, herbs, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, dried fruit, nuts and zest to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. Stir in the milk and honey until well combined and no streaks of honey remain.
  3. Divide between the 2 mini pans. Bake for ~25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
  4. Let cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, overnight (or up to 3 months.) If you used a regular loaf pan, you can now carefully slice it in half lengthwise with a serrated knife before or after freezing.
  5. Preheat oven to 300˚F.
  6. Remove from the freezer and use a serrated knife to slice into 1/8” thick slices. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
  7. Bake for 12 minutes, then flip each cracker over. Bake for another 12 minutes, then check for doneness. If they aren’t quite done, flip again and cook for another 3-8 minutes. They should be golden brown and feel dry to the touch, but they may still look soft due to the fruit. Don’t worry – they will crisp up as they dry! See storage information below. 

All sliced up for round two

Notes from Crowded Kitchen

Loaf pan size: We used two of these mini loaf pans for this recipe. The size is about 5 1/2 inch x 3 1/4 inch. You can also use one standard size loaf pan (~8 1/2” x 4 1/2”), but if you do, the crackers will be much longer and shorter. This may also change the cook time. 

Bake time: When you’re baking these in loaf pans, use a toothpick to test doneness. If it comes out clean, you’re ready to go.

Second bake: You’ll know your second bake is done when the crackers turn a nice brown color – almost like the rye chips in a package of Chex mix. They’ll be slightly crispy, and will harden up even more as they cool.

Use a serrated knife to slice the frozen loaf into about 1/8″ slices. 

Freeze and bake later: You can bake several loaves of these and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for later. If stored properly, they will last for a few months in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, simply remove from the freezer, slice and bake. 

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a few days. If they start to get soft from the dried fruit, you can always pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up. Note that dried fruit with higher moisture content (like apricots or figs) will make these go soft faster than fruit like dried cranberries.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4 crackers
  • Calories: 126
  • Sugar: 10.7 g
  • Sodium: 249.3 mg
  • Fat: 4.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 20.1 g
  • Fiber: 2.3 g
  • Protein: 2.7 g

Everyone Crackers: Because Special Orders Don’t Upset Us

“Hold the pickles hold the lettuce….” If you had a heartbeat in the 70’s you know what comes next (and if not, there’s this https://youtu.be/pprTvtHnnTo)

Cutting to the chase of the Burger King jingle, special orders don’t upset us in this house. Granted, as a mother of bottomless pit boys, I love it when people eat everything with glee; but,  I also enjoy the challenge of the hunt when finding recipes to accommodate the “specials” — the gluten frees, the vegetarians, the paleos, the nut-frees, the dairy-frees, the garlic and cilantro haters, the Vegans and any “special combo” of the above. 

Regularly catering to a Paleo, Gluten-free, Vegan “special combo” might put me over the edge. But then again, I’d just make a LOT of these crackers. Everyone Crackers are the reverse concept of Everything seasoning, in that they have few main ingredients and tons of flavor options so they can accommodate everyone. Even the sesame averse have an easy workaround (see recipe notes at the end). 

These goes out to Jules, who also brought us the triple spicy margarita. For that alone she is worth any amount of extra effort. Jules is a “special combo” of gluten free and nut free. That last part is especially tough for someone like me who tries to slip nuts into everything. It’s also difficult because so many gluten free baked goods depend on the heft and flavor of nut flour. 

Say hello to cassava flour, the longtime secret weapon of the gluten-averse paleo crowd. Even for people with no dietary restrictions, these crackers that come straight from the Bojon Gourmet (kinda my food hero) are solid gold. They make a fine addition to any app spread and a vehicle for anything (well hello again, chile crisp!)

Full disclosure, making crackers is a bit of a pain. Within the cracker-making realm, however, these are as easy as it gets: One bowl, few ingredients and no chopping, pre-bake scoring, flipping, or resting time on the counter. The only real skill involved is getting them to a uniform thickness, and if you’ve done any time with Play-doh you’ve got this.  

You will need parchment paper and ideally two baking sheets without rims. Other than that, no special equipment. The ingredients, once you have them, last a good long time so you’ll be set for several batches.

Besides being substantial and delicious, these crackers allow for plenty of room to riff with seasonings in the mix or on top. I left the recipe exactly as written with my notes in italics. Stay tuned for another partner recipe from Bojon Gourmet–this one a crazy-good Vegan “paté”  that has only one wacky ingredient and stands on its own with meat eaters. It does have nuts so, sorry Jules…you’ll have to double down on the crackers!

 

Crackers, pre-breakup

…and after the bust

Everyone Crackers

From Alanna Taylor-Tobin AKA the Bojon Gourmet
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 40ish crackers

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (160 g) cassava flour*
  • ½ cup (85 g) flax seeds (ground flax seeds will also work in a pinch)
  • ½ cup (70 g) sesame seeds
  • ½ cup (60 g) sunflower seeds
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (265 ml) boiling water*
  • ¼ cup (55 g) olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing (I often forget to add the oil until after everything is mixed. It still works out, but aim higher than me here and add the oil with the water)
  • flaky salt, for sprinkling

Method

  • Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 300ºF.
  • Stir together the flour, seeds, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add the olive oil and water, stir to combine. Let sit 10 minutes, then knead with your hands in the bowl into a smooth ball. Divide in two.
  • Roll one piece of dough between two pieces of parchment paper into a large, thin sheet that’s about the size of a baking sheet. If the dough cracks or tears, just squish it back together. You can trim away the wonky edges, stick them into the corners, and continue rolling to make a rectangle. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
  • Brush the dough all over with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt.
  • Bake the crackers until light golden, about 40-50 minutes (check at 15 minutes if using a different flour as some bake much faster than others).
  • Let the crackers cool, then break them into 2 to 3-inch pieces. If the crackers aren’t crisp enough after cooling, just return them to the oven for another 10 minutes or so.
  • Store the crackers airtight for up to a week or two… if you can make them last that long!

Notes and substitution suggestions:

For a non-paleo version, try these with buckwheat or corn flour. Or for a more traditional gluten-ful version, use rye flour or spelt flour. Decrease the water to 1 cup if using a flour other than cassava. 

Feel free to play fast and loose with the seeds, using any combination you like. You can try adding hemp, poppy, chia, and/or pumpkin seeds. See why I love this woman???

Seasoning suggestions (add to the dough or on top of the crackers):-minced fresh rosemary-everything bagel seasoning-1 teaspoon cumin or fennel seed-oregano-garlic and/or onion powder-nigella seed-flavorful oil, such as walnut or toasted sesame-chile flakes, Aleppo pepper, or togarashi-nutritional yeast. This is where you can really customize these, which I do differently every time. I often add lemon zest to the dough but my latest batch has Oaktown Spice Vadovan (fancy curry powder) in the mix. The endless array of seasonings from Trader Joe’s make great toppers.