Crackers & Dips (12 page)

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SWEET TREATS: DESSERT CRACKERS

ANIMAL CRACKERS

WITH ZESTY LEMON FROSTING

I loved animal crackers as a child, but as an adult, I find them to be overly sweet and bland at the same time. I’ve fixed that by developing my own recipe for animal crackers that uses less sugar than the boxed kind and features lemon zest in the cracker dough and a lemon glaze to decorate the crackers.

Oat flour lends a soft, milky flavor to these crackers that’s strongly reminiscent of packaged animal crackers, so don’t be tempted to leave it out. Oat flour is available in bulk at most natural foods stores and some grocery stores, but you can make your own by blitzing rolled oats in a food processor to a fine powder.

MAKES 45 ANIMAL CRACKERS

1½ cups plus 2 tbsp/200 g unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

⅓ cup/40 g oat flour

¼ cup/50 g packed light brown sugar

¼ cup/50 g granulated sugar

2 tsp finely grated organic lemon zest, plus

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp fine sea salt

4 tbsp/55 g chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces

¼ cup/60 ml buttermilk

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1¾ cups/180 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 tbsp milk

2 tbsp candy sprinkles (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor or a large bowl, pulse or whisk the all-purpose flour, oat flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse or use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 15 pulses with a food processor.

In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, honey, and vanilla and stir until the honey has dissolved. Add to the flour mixture and pulse or stir with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. Remove the dough from the processor or bowl and knead gently on a lightly floured surface until smooth, 10 strokes. Flatten the dough into two equal-size disks, cover in plastic wrap, and chill them for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas 5. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Place one piece of the dough on a well-floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is ⅛ in/4 mm thick, lifting the dough and rotating to make sure it’s not sticking to the work surface and adding all-purpose flour as necessary.

Use lightly floured cookie cutters to cut out animal shapes. Using a lightly floured bench scraper or offset spatula, transfer the cut-outs to one of the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll the scraps once and cut them out in the same way. Bake the animal crackers until light golden brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once from back to front while baking. Cool the crackers on the sheet until they firm up, 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. While the first batch of crackers is cooling, repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking process with the remaining dough and scraps.

Once the cookies are completely cool, frost them. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and milk and stir until smooth. Spread a thin layer of the glaze over each animal cracker, scattering sprinkles over the crackers as you frost, if desired, and let them stand at room temperature until the glaze is completely set, 1 hour. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

CRACKER TIP:
To make your honey easier to measure, try microwaving it with the cap off until it is warm and more liquid in consistency; about 20 seconds on full power in the average microwave usually does the trick.

SKINNY MINT CHOCOLATE GRAHAMS

My husband is an absolute nut for chocolate-mint anything, so I came up with these to satisfy his Girl Scout cookie craving. I use a mixture of whole-wheat flour, unbleached all-purpose flour, and good-quality cocoa powder to give these crackers a sandy, crumbly texture and a deep, rich chocolaty flavor that’s head and shoulders above any packaged chocolate-mint cookie.

The chocolate and mint combo and their long shelf life make these graham crackers a great gift for holiday giving; I like to sprinkle the tops of the crackers with crushed candy cane while the glaze is still wet, for an extra festive flourish.

MAKES 60 CRACKERS

14 tbsp/200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup/100 g sugar

2 tbsp honey

1½ tsp peppermint extract

1½ cups/185 g unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 cup/130 g whole-wheat flour

⅓ cup/30 g unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp fine sea salt

1 cup/170 g bittersweet chocolate chips

1 tsp canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter, sugar, honey, and peppermint extract together until fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Sift both flours, the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until the mixture forms moist crumbs; do not overmix. Gather up the dough with your hands (it will come together when squeezed), and divide the dough into two
equal-size pieces. Form each piece of dough into a rectangle measuring 4 by 6 in/10 by 15 cm, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a work surface and lightly dust it with all-purpose flour. Place a portion of dough on the paper, dust it with flour, and place a piece of plastic wrap over the dough. Roll the dough out until it is ⅛ in/4 mm thick, picking up the plastic once or twice to make sure there are no creases in the dough.

Cut the dough into the desired shapes using cookie cutters, and use a lightly floured spatula or bench scraper to transfer the crackers to one of the prepared baking sheets; reserve and chill the scraps. Prick each cracker a few times with a fork or comb and bake until they are crisp and smell chocolaty, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheet once from front to back while baking. Transfer the crackers to a cooling rack. While the first batch of crackers is baking, repeat the rolling and cutting process with another ball of dough; the chilled scraps can be re-rolled once.

In a small microwave-safe bowl or a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the canola oil. Using an offset spatula, spread about ½ tsp of the melted chocolate mixture over each cracker and place them on a baking sheet. Refrigerate the graham crackers until the glaze is set, about 30 minutes. Once the glaze has set, store the crackers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

CRACKER TIP:
When baking crackers in batches, be sure to let the hot baking sheets cool for a few minutes before placing more raw crackers on them; if the raw dough is placed on hot baking sheets, it will spread and melt before the crackers are fully baked.

ROSEMARY GRAHAM CRACKERS

WITH S’MORES ACCOUTREMENTS

This recipe is adapted from a clever dessert served at Laurelhurst Market in Portland, Oregon, called The Night at Lost Lake. Chef de cuisine Shannon Preble serves these rosemary-flecked graham crackers with a brûléed marshmallow, a square of not-quite-melted chocolate, and a shot of whiskey. The subtle evergreen flavor of the crackers, combined with the other accoutrements, is a witty nod to the best grown up camping desserts.

In this version, I put the whiskey in a gooey caramel sauce, so you can dunk yours’mores in a whiskey-tinged dip rather than drink the booze as a shot. Leftover crackers are killer good all by themselves, and they keep well for weeks, so they’re the perfect cookie-jar filler.

MAKES 8 S’MORES PLUS 40 CRACKERS FOR SNACKING

For the grahams

⅓ cup/80 ml milk

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp molasses

1½ tsp vanilla extract

1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp/245 g whole-wheat flour or 1¾ cups, plus 2 tbsp/255g graham flour (see Cracker Tip)

½ cup/60 g unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

½ cup/100 g packed light brown sugar

¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1½ tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

6 tbsp/85 g chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces

2 tbsp sugar

For the salted whiskey caramel

¼ cup/50 g packed light brown sugar

2 tbsp heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp light corn syrup

¼ tsp fleur de sel

1 tbsp whiskey

For assembly

One 4-oz/115-g bar 70 percent dark chocolate, broken into 1-in/2.5-cm squares

16 marshmallows

TO MAKE THE GRAHAMS:
In a small measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the milk, honey, molasses, and vanilla until well combined; set aside. In a food processor or large bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, rosemary, ¾ tsp of the cinnamon, and the salt and pulse or whisk to combine. Add the butter and pulse or use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.

Gradually add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and process or stir until the dough comes together. Gather the dough together and pat it into two 4-in/10-cm squares that are about 1 in/2.5 cm thick. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C/gas 3. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and remaining ½ tsp cinnamon. Roll out one piece of the dough on a well-floured work surface with a floured rolling pin until the dough is ⅛ in/4 mm thick. The dough will be sticky; lift the dough frequently while rolling and dust with more flour, as necessary.

Working quickly, trim the edges of the dough and place the scraps in the freezer. Cut the dough into
2½-in/6-cm squares and use a floured bench scraper or spatula to transfer the crackers to one of the prepared baking sheets. Prick the crackers all over with a fork or comb and sprinkle them with about a third of the sugar-cinnamon mixture. As soon as the first sheet is filled, put it in the oven.

Bake, rotating the baking sheet once from front to back, until the crackers are browned and firm around the edges when poked, 12 to 15 minutes (the centers may still feel a bit soft and puffy; they will crisp up as they cool). While the first batch of crackers is baking, repeat the rolling and cutting process with the second ball of dough and the scraps. Transfer the baked crackers to a cooling rack and, once cool, store the crackers in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

TO MAKE THE CARAMEL:
Combine the brown sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup, and fleur de sel in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and carefully add the whiskey. Whisk to combine and keep warm over very low heat or store in a small thermos until ready to use.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Preheat the oven to 275°F/135°C/gas 1. Place eight graham crackers on a baking sheet, top each square with a piece of chocolate, and bake until the chocolate just begins to melt, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, skewer the marshmallows with a metal pick and toast them carefully over a gas stove set to a medium flame or with a kitchen torch. Alternatively, broil the marshmallows on a foil-lined baking sheet until browned and gooey. Place two marshmallows on top of each chocolate-covered cracker, top with another cracker, and serve with the warm caramel on the side, for dunking.

CRACKER TIP:
Graham flour is whole-wheat flour with a slightly coarser texture than regular whole-wheat flour. It gives these crackers a wholesome flavor and slightly more rustic texture, but whole-wheat flour will work, too.