Real Snacks (12 page)

Saltines, the modern (and saltier) version of the water biscuit, are the classic soup cracker. Cut this homemade version into little squares for traditional crackers, or into little rounds for “oyster” crackers. I use a pastry wheel to give a scalloped edge to these crackers, but a knife works just as well
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

Combine the white spelt flour, ground millet flour, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade and pulse to combine. Add the coconut oil and pulse to incorporate. With the food processor running, drizzle in the water a little at a time, just until the mixture begins to pull together. You may not use all of the water.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather it into a ball. Knead gently once or twice. If the dough is a little sticky, knead in a bit more flour but try not to overwork the dough. Roll out the dough until it is slightly less than ⅛ inch thick.

Prick the dough all over with a fork. Cut into 2-inch squares and carefully place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving ½ inch between crackers. Mist the tops of the crackers with water, then sprinkle them with the flaked salt.

Bake until the crackers are slightly brown on the edges, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Let the crackers cool on a wire rack.

These thin crackers are great with cheese or dips, or to just nibble on their own. A tiny bit of vanilla helps create the subtly malty flavor Wheat Thins are known for. I like to replace a fourth cup of the whole-wheat flour with an equal amount of barley flour for an even nuttier taste. For an added twist, sprinkle on a little of the Ranch Flavoring (
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

Combine the whole-wheat flour, sugar, salt, and turmeric in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade. Pulse several times to mix thoroughly. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse to combine. With the food processor running, add the brown rice syrup, water, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Divide it into 2 pieces. Keep the dough you aren’t working with covered with plastic wrap. Working with one dough ball at a time, roll out the dough until it is about ⅛ inch thick. Place the dough onto prepared baking sheets. Using a pastry wheel or knife, cut the dough into 1-by-1-inch crackers, but don’t separate them. Prick each cracker with a fork. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Spray the crackers with olive oil spray and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

Bake until the edges of the crackers are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool the sheets of crackers completely on a wire rack before breaking them into individual crackers.

These crackers are packed with cheese flavor, even if they aren’t bright orange. For a traditional cheddar flavor, use a good sharp cheddar (I like Beecher’s Flagship). Or go a little crazy and use a stronger cheese like Camembert. For an even cheesier flavor, sprinkle with Cheese Powder (
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

Combine the cheese, butter, whole-grain spelt flour, all-purpose flour, onion powder, salt, and milk in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade. Pulse to form a ball, 1 to 2 minutes. If the dough appears oily from the cheese, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is ⅛ to
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inch thick. Brush the dough with the milk. Using a pastry wheel or knife, cut the dough into 1-by-1-inch squares. Prick the center of each cracker with a skewer. Place the crackers on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least ½ inch between crackers.

Bake until the crackers are just slightly brown on the edges, about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. The crackers will crisp up as they cool, so be careful not to overbake them. Cool the crackers completely on a wire rack.

My high school boyfriend was obsessed with Chicken in a Biskit crackers. It’s not surprising since they are packed with flavor and MSG. These crackers skip the MSG but still have tons of flavor from the herbs and spices
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

Sift the all-purpose flour, rye flour, chickpea flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 2 teaspoons of the nutritional yeast together and set aside.

Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pour the warm milk over the butter. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, stir in the chives and the remaining flour mixture, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough forms into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes.

Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, sage, paprika, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast in a spice grinder or blender. Blend to create a fine powder and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is ⅛ inch thick. Sprinkle with half of the spice mixture and lightly roll to press the spices into the dough. Prick
the dough all over with a fork. Cut the dough into 1-by-2-inch rectangles with a pastry wheel or sharp knife and carefully place the crackers on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until the crackers are a very light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. While the crackers are still warm, place them in a paper bag and sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture. Shake lightly to coat and spread the crackers onto a baking sheet to cool before serving.