Graham Crackers
Makes about 2 dozen graham crackers.
Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. From King Arthur Baking Co.
• 1 c. whole wheat flour or graham flour
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. honey
• 2 to 3 tbsp. milk, plus more for glaze
• Cinnamon sugar, for topping; optional
Directions
Combine whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the oil, honey, and 2 tablespoons milk. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until you have a fairly stiff dough, adding more milk if necessary. Knead the dough gently until smooth.
Wrap the dough and chill it until firm, about 1 hour (or longer, if it's more convenient).
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Divide the dough in half and, working with one piece at a time, roll the dough out about 1/16-inch thick (about the thickness of a penny) between two pieces of parchment paper.
Transfer the rolled-out dough on the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Brush both pieces of dough with milk and then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired.
Bake the sheets of dough for 10 minutes, rotating the pans after 5 minutes.
Remove pans from the oven. Use a rolling pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut the sheets of dough into 3- by 2-inch rectangles; don't separate them, just cut them.
Return cut crackers to the oven and continue to bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
Leaving the crackers in the oven, turn off the oven and open the oven door wide for 5 minutes. After the majority of heat has dissipated, shut the oven door and let it cool down for 20 minutes with the crackers inside; this will help them become as crisp as possible.
Remove the crackers from the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack, and cool completely.
Store the crackers, well-wrapped at room temperature for up to a week; freeze for longer storage.
Whole Wheat Graham Crackers
Makes about 3 dozen graham crackers.
Note: If you want that honey taste (and aroma) while baking, you can add 2 tablespoons of honey and omit 1 tablespoon water and a little less than 2 tablespoons of sugar. The orange juice cuts the harshness of the whole wheat without adding an orange taste, but you can use all water if you prefer. From King Arthur Baking Co.
• 2 c. white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. water, or 2 tbsp. each orange juice and water (see Note)
• Cinnamon sugar, for topping; optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Set the mixture aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, oil and orange juice/water.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry mixture, stirring to form a cohesive dough. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flattened block.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it between two pieces of lightly greased parchment or waxed paper until it's 1/16-inch thick (about the thickness of a penny). Try to keep the dough a uniform thinness.
Transfer the rolled-out dough to a baking sheet; peel off the top piece and lay the bottom piece on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining piece of dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired.
Bake crackers for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and use a rolling pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut the sheets of dough into 3- by 2-inch rectangles; don't separate them, just cut them. (You can use a fork to prick the crackers at this point, if you like, to add that distinctive graham cracker look.) Return the crackers to the oven, and continue to bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're browning around the edges.
Turn off the oven and open the oven door wide, leaving the crackers inside. After 5 minutes or so, when much of the oven's heat has dissipated, shut the oven door, and let it cool down completely with the crackers inside; this will help them become as crisp as possible.
Store the cooled crackers, tightly wrapped, at room temperature. They'll keep for several weeks.
