Homemade Crackers 2 Ways

Spiced Molasses Graham Crackers
and
Cheesy Maple Bacon Crackers

Our July 2012 Daring Bakers’ host was Dana McFarland and she challenged us to make homemade crackers! Dana showed us some techniques for making crackers and encouraged to use our creativity to make each cracker our own by using ingredients we love.
(I love molasses and bacon!)

Probably the coolest thing about making your own crackers is how quaint they look when they're done. There's really nothing cuter than a stack of homemade graham crackers. And they're [almost] as easy to make as a batch of cookies!

Spiced Molasses Graham Crackers
prepared graham cracker dough, ready for the oven

Cheesy Maple Bacon Crackers
this ice box cracker dough is ready to slice and bake

A word to the wise:
Don't over mix your dough. Just mix until it comes together in a chunky dough and the rest will happen when you're rolling and shaping.

Watch these like a hawk when they're baking. It only takes a minute or two to go from almost there to burnt.

Maple Bacon Crackers:
Adapted from a Lemon Cracker recipe in the Joy of Cooking

Whisk together:
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 strips of fried bacon, minced

Mix in with your fingers into course crumbs:
2 tablespoons solid bacon fat (filtered when liquid and chilled)
2 tablespoons cold butter, diced

Mix in and knead in the bowl just until it comes together:
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Place the dough on the counter and roll into a log about a foot long inside a section of wax paper. Place the log, wrapped in the paper, in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Slice dough 1/4 inch thick and bake an inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet until the edges begin to brown (about 10 minutes).

Move to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with a touch of course salt and pepper.

Spiced Molasses Graham Crackers:
Adapted from a Martha Stewart and a Katherine Martinelli recipe

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon course salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon fresh shaved nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter, diced
1/2 cup light or dark molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put the flours, salt, spices and baking powder in a large bowl and mix together until well combined. Using your fingers, grind in the butter until the dough is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Add the molasses and brown sugar and combine. Add the milk and vanilla and work it into a stiff dough.

Split the dough in half. Shape the first half into a rectangle and put in the center of two pieces of parchment paper. Roll out, trying to maintain a rectangle, until 1/4-inch thick. Remove the top layer of parchment. Cut the dough into the shapes you want with a knife, pastry wheel or cookie cutters. Lightly prick all over with a fork. Press a serrated knife most of the way through the dough to create the perforation if you want your crackers to break in thirds like traditional graham crackers. Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon and sugar if desired.

Freeze the cracker dough for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the chilled crackers (still on the bottom layer of parchment) for 13 to 17 minutes, or just until browning at the edges. Cool completely (they will harden as they cool) and if they aren't crispy to your satisfaction, return them to a hot oven for a couple minutes more and they should be there.

Enjoy!