Homemade Graham Crackers

Homemade Graham Crackers
by Yasmin Lozada-Hissom

These homemade graham crackers are the base of Yasmin Lozada-Hissom's Frozen Lemon Cream Cakes, but they're also a delicious snack in their own right. Or, layer them with Homemade Marshmallows and top-quality dark chocolate for the ultimate s'mores.Yields forty-five 2x2-inch crackers.
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5 oz. (1 cup) whole-wheat graham flour
5 oz. (1 cup 2 Tbs.) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 Tbs. buttermilk
3 Tbs. honey
1-1/2 Tbs. unsulfured molasses
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

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Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Put both flours, and the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, honey, molasses, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and pulse until a dough begins to form.

Remove the dough from the food processor and transfer to a large piece of parchment. Put another piece of parchment over it. Roll the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick, 16x13-inch rectangle. Remove the top sheet of paper, trim the rough edges, and transfer the dough along with the bottom layer of parchment to a baking sheet.

With a pizza cutter, divide the dough into 2-inch squares (press just hard enough to cut the dough and not the paper). With a fork, prick each square 3 or 4 times. Bake until golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on the sheet.

Note: You can bake half a batch of dough and refrigerate or freeze the rest for later use. Divide the dough in two before rolling it, wrap one-half well, and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 week until ready to use again for a second batch of crackers. Take the dough out of the refrigerator or freezer at least a couple hours before you plan to bake so it will soften slightly.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : per cracker; Calories (kcal): 50; Fat (g): 1.5; Fat Calories (kcal): 15; Saturated Fat (g): 1; Protein (g): 1; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 0; Carbohydrates (g): 8; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0; Sodium (mg): 35; Cholesterol (mg): 5; Fiber (g): 0;

From Fine Cooking 105, pp. 70-71

May 6, 2010