graham crackers

Today was so nice.  I leisurely read a book, never did my hair or makeup, ate a decadent sandwich (certainly not the usual lunch-at-work fare), and traded a workout for a nap.  It was a day filled with activities usually reserved for the weekend, which made me feel like I was breaking some kind of rule.  Like some mean old lady was going to jump out and scold me any minute: We don’t act like this on a Thursday, Janae – while wagging her finger disapprovingly.  Thankfully, she never did.

Another indulgent thing I did on this lazy weekday was bake some graham crackers.  I’ve had graham flour sitting in my freezer for a very long time, and graham crackers have been on my mind even longer.  It seems I bought the flour and then never had the time to make them, so I fixed that today.  I’m happy to report they were just as good as my brain had convinced me they would be.  Jade and I ate quite a few (by that, I mean ‘a lot’).  Remember a long time ago when I made a peanut butter and banana smoothie?  Well, I also learned today that these graham crackers pair beautifully with it for a delicious and filling afternoon snack.

Aside from the slightly sweet, honey-tinged taste against the hearty graham and oat flours, I loved these little crackers (cookies, really) because they were so easy to make.  A little spin in the food processor, a quick chill in the fridge, and then they’re ready for the oven.  These will be great packed in our lunches tomorrow when I get up and get back to real life, sigh.  Luckily though, tomorrow is Friday, and before I know it I’ll be back on the couch where I belong, a book in one hand and graham crackers in the other.

Graham Crackers

Recipe adapted from Crispy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich.

The original recipe says it yields 36 2″ crackers; I made mine smaller at about 1″ and I got right about 50 (but that’s not entirely accurate since I should’ve had more – I had an accident and dropped about a quarter of the dough – oops).  Point is, you’ll get quite a few and Medrich also says they should stay fresh in an airtight container up to three weeks.  Also, you can easily switch out the butter for a vegan spread to make these vegan.

[Update: I had some of these today and noticed they had gone a little soft overnight - still delicious, just softer - especially the ones that had baked in the middle and were a little thicker.  Therefore, when baking, you might want to get them as crispy as possible without burning them, which is what I'll try next time.  There is also a tip about reheating to ensure crispiness noted at the end of the recipe.]

There are flavor variations you can do with this dough.  I made mine plain and loved them, but next time I think I’ll try one of these out:

• Add 1 tablespoon cinnamon to the flour mixture; sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture before baking.
• Add ¾ teaspoon nutmeg to flour mixture.
• Add 1 slightly rounded teaspoon ground ginger to flour mixture.
• Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ginger, ½ teaspoon cloves and ¼ teaspoon cardamom to flour mixture.

Ingredients:

1¾ cups graham flour
½ + 2 tablespoons oat flour*
¼  cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons milk (I used 1%)
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together graham and oat flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and any of the above spice combinations you’d like to add (optional).  Add butter pieces and pulse until butter is evenly dispersed.  Combine the milk, honey and vanilla and stir until the honey dissolves.  With processor running, drizzle in the milk/honey mixture.  Dough will be crumbly but not cohesive.  Dump dough onto a flat surface and press it into a ball.  Flatten into an 8″ or 9″ square.  Cover in plastic wrap and chill 20 minutes, or up to 2 days.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF.

Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/8″ thick and even.  Score the dough into cracker shapes (a pizza cutter works well for this) and prick each one with a fork.  Place on a baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.  Cool in pan on a rack.  If the crackers are not crispy enough for you after they have cooled, place in a 325º oven for 10-15 minutes.

(I can’t wait to try these spread with Nutella or peanut butter.  Yum.)

*Don’t have oat flour?  I didn’t either.  Just process some oats in the food processor until they’re as finely ground as you can get them and measure from there.

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