Foodiva's Kitchen: Going Crackers Mid-Week! :) Whole Wheat Raisin Rosemary Pepita Crackers

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Going Crackers Mid-Week! :) Whole Wheat Raisin Rosemary Pepita Crackers

Hors d'oeuvres have always a pathetic interest for me; they remind me of one's childhood that one goes through wondering what the next course is going to be like - and during the rest of the menu one wishes one had eaten more of the hors d'oeuvres.
~ Hector Hugh Munro

So it's Wednesday, and I haven't blogged all week. Or all of last week for that matter. If you'd wanted to look for me, you would likely find me on Instagram, I'm there - every single day :). Taking photos with the handphone and posting them is an instant act, it's extremely easy and there's no need to write words, many words to describe your post. No wonder it's addictive. Maybe I'm just getting lazier with this blog, who knows? 

Unfortunately, if you don't have an iDevice to play around with, you'll have to keep on missing me until I come on here again and we can hang out and stuff. Yes, life's a bit unfair like that.


And why did I bother even mentioning Instagram (IG) for those of you who aren't interested or don't really care for it? Because this recipe - Whole Wheat Raisin Rosemary Pepita Crackers - was inspired by one of my pals on IG called @thebobbycaudle. Okay, his real name's probably just Bobby Caudle without the 'the', but that I'm not totally sure. What I'm sure about though is that one of his delicious food posts made me run straight to the kitchen to create these amazing crackers!

Clockwise from top left: Nigella seeds, rosemary, raisins and pepitas

There are many ardent food-lovers lurking on IG, and honestly, they, we, okay... I, tend to post up many, many meals that we've seen, made and consumed on a daily basis. Taking out a phone in a restaurant or public place and hovering it over your plate for a shot is a far less embarassing process than taking out a hefty SLR camera to do the same thing, you know? I do most of my 'hovering' at home and even have a colorful breakfast series up on IG where I post my daily morning meals. Check it out at @divabreakfasts if you're interested ;).

Anyway, Mr. Bobby Caudle had prepared an hors d'oeuvres platter using these savory-sweet Trader Joe's Raisin Rosemary Crisps and by the time he finished describing the ingredients on the box to me (yes, I shamelessly asked!), I knew exactly what to do. 


If you wish you could eat more whole foods without breaking your budget, these homemade crackers are for you. I've promised some friends that I'll post up the recipe and I’m finally dishing it out. When you think about the typical cracker, they're usually thin and salty so the key to good, crisp crackers is to make 'em really thin! And not too salty, if you're thinking healthy as well. You can substitute the flours in the recipe below with gluten-free flours, you simply need to experiment and play around with the measurements a little. I've also used olive oil in place of butter, it contributes to the crispness of the crackers, plus you can snack on these babies with less (much less) guilt.

The original Trader Joe's crisps also contained flaxseeds and sunflower seeds but I had neither and therefore substituted them with pumpkin seeds and Nigella seeds, which have an onion-y flavor. You can get the latter at many Indian food or spice stores, they're commonly known as blackseeds. You can experiment with other spices and seeds... right this very moment cumin and garlic just popped into my mind!


From the way everyone at home appreciatively munched on these, I would say this homemade cracker recipe will satisfy even the pickiest cracker eater. They have interesting flavors that blend well together, they're not bland, not too salty and not too sweet either. Just nice... Served with something creamy like goat's cheese or Brie, they become just that bit naughtier, and a whole lot nicer!



Whole Wheat Raisin Rosemary Pepita Crackers
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Nigella seeds (blackseeds)
2 tablespoons raisins, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup water
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (pepitas), coarsely chopped

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Combine the whole wheat flour, plain flour, rosemary, raisins, Nigella seeds, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the olive oil and using a fork, mix the oil thoroughly into the dry mixture until it looks like large crumbs.
2. Add the water in 3 batches to adjust the dough consistency. Mix well until combined and dough forms, but only as long as necessary for the most tender crackers. Dough should be firm but not sticky when you form it into a ball. Add small amounts of whole wheat flour as necessary to adjust to this texture.
3. If you have a pasta machine, divide the dough into 4 portions and roll into thin, flat sheets. I usually go up to the second or third last setting on the machine. If it’s too thin, the dough will tear easily.
4. If you don’t have a pasta machine, don’t fret because you can roll these by hand! Use parchment paper, a lightly greased cookie sheet or a non-stick silicone baking mat. Roll each of the divided dough to your desired thinness right out on the paper, sheet or mat after flouring it lightly.
5. After the dough sheets are rolled out, sprinkle the chopped pumpkin seeds over each sheet and gently roll over the sheets again with a pastry roller to press the seeds in (no, do not put these through the pasta machine again!).
6. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife and cut the dough into squares or triangles, about 1 1/2 inches each. If you want all beautifully square crackers, you can trim the edges square. (Note: be sure not to cut your silicone mat).
7. Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time, until crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. If some of the thinner crackers on the edges brown too quickly, remove them and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking. These crackers bake quickly, so watch them closely – even 30 seconds can turn them from golden brown to toast! To make them extra crispy, I turn them over after 8 minutes and bake them for another 2 minutes in the oven.
8. Remove the crackers from the oven and cool on the pan or on a rack; they cool quickly. They will crisp up as they cool and stay crisp for many days, but are best stored in airtight containers.

31 comments:

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Gorgeous crackers, Maya...and a stunning presentation!!!! YUM!

Unknown said...

Heya Lizzie, many thanks! These crackers are so heart-breakingly yummy...as for presentation, you could teach me a thing or two there ;). See you over at FFWD, hopefully!

Norm said...

Oooh, thanks for posting! I knew I'd love these when I saw your pic of them on IG, and reading the recipe only makes me more certain! When we lived in Canada we used to buy some gorgeous rosemary and raisin crackers, slightly similar to these I guess, and I'd love to try to recreate them. I'll give these a go sometime (can't promise when at the moment though!).

Kx

Priyanka said...

Wow they are so tempting. Great photo

Torviewtoronto said...

this looks wonderful delicious crackers

Lora said...

Thee look fantastic!

Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts said...

Those look incredible! Love all the seeds!

Sandra said...

Those look so good Maya..love the way you made them and recipe is must try..I really need to get me one of those pasta machines..Lovely post!!!

easyfoodsmith said...

The crackers look perfect to the 'T'! Awesome!

Nancy said...

Maya the crackers look so delicious. I could make a batch for us and for my birdies to enjoy:) Too bad but I don't have and iDevice to follow you on instagram. Either way it is still nice to see your posts when you feel inspired enough to share here:)

www.you-made-that.com said...

Wow, these look wonderful, so full of healthy goodness. I would not blink an eye about eating these lovely crackers. Thanks for the recipe.

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

This crackers look seriously delicious among all the crackers I know! I love that they have so many good ingredients in it. Raisins? WOW! I never had pepitas or Nigella seeds. I wish I could try these crackers... Missed your posts, truly. :-)

Cucina49 said...

YOu packed a lot of flavor into those crackers--I bet they taste amazing. Gorgeous photos, too!

Unknown said...

Yes, I'm going crackers over your crackers! Thanks so much for posting the photos of your technique with the pasta machine, another great use for this appliance that needs to earn it's keep in my kitchen,lol!

Priscilla @ShesCookin said...

I'll have to find you and The Bobby Claudle on Instagram :) Seeds and nuts MAKE a cracker and these look sensational and, of course, I like them even more because they're healthier than most!

Cher Rockwell said...

Maya, Maya, Maya. You make me smile. Of course we've missed you!

Beautiful crackers.

Unknown said...

this looks delicious! I have been meaning to cook crackers for a while and these look like the perfect recipe!

S.V. said...

These crackers look amazing!!! Love the flavors and totally love the quote. I am always on instagram as well LOL and Hipstamatic it's sad I use them both daily!!! I think almost every picture I took in Barcelona was taken with Instagram LOVE it!!!

Jennifer (Delicieux) said...

Your crackers look lovely and full of lots of flavour with those seeds and nuts. :)

Emiko said...

you always amaze me with your work :)
added to my list hhihi! great job!

tanja said...

These crackers look seriously delicious & addictive!!:) On my Must-Bake-List now. YUM!

Vicki Bensinger said...

Maya these crackers sound so good. I'd have to sub the rosemary for another herb since my husband isn't a fan of it but can't wait to try these and bring out the pasta maker.

I have Instagram but couldn't figure out what to do with it so it's just sitting there on my iPhone taking up space.

Great recipe and photos.

Jean (Lemons and Anchovies) said...

I love those crackers from Trader Joe's! Yours look absolutely stunning. I was motivated to make my own crackers, too, last year after seeing how much a small package of fancy ones can cost but mine didn't look like yours. This recipe is truly a keeper! :)

Kiri W. said...

Gorgeous crackers! :) What a combination of flavors, too! Very elegant.

Jenny VintageSugarcube) said...

Gorgeous!! I am beyond impressed. I don't think I have enough patience in me to make crackers.
PS.. LOVE your instragram feeds, especially your breakfasts. Girll.. You could do a blog on that alone. xo

Rachelle said...

This is perfect for my crackers craving hahas! nice added some flavor of it.

Tasty Trix said...

Boo, I have a Blackeberry and can't see you on Instagram. : (
I'll take what I can get of you though! These crackers look sooo good.

Beth Michelle said...

These crackers look awesome!!! Never thought to make my own crackers. You've inspired me!

Unknown said...

una vera meraviglia, complimenti! un bacio :)

Shutterbug said...

those crackers look good. I should try making them.

Maureen said...

I love your crackers but your title is a mouthful. great flavor combination!

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