Daring Bakers: Crackers

Welcome to this month's edition of Daring Bakers: crackers edition! 

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 encourage us to use our creativity to make each cracker our own by using ingredients we love. 

I hope I didn't disappoint! 

Another part of the challenge was that you had to make two different types of crackers using two different methods. You could make hand rolled crackers, icebox crackers, or pasta roller crackers. I chose to make hand rolled and icebox, considering I don't have a pasta roller. 

The first cracker I made was a Boursin cheese, basil, and almond icebox cracker. This recipe was based on one that was given to us for the challenge - a cheddar, rosemary, and walnut icebox cracker. Because I didn't have quite a few ingredients in my pantry, I improvised. My family loved these crackers and they had a  strong Boursin cheese spread flavor. They were also very crispy. Yum. You want the recipe? 

Boursin Cheese, Basil, & Almond Icebox Crackers

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup Boursin Vermont White Cheddar & Sage Cheese Spread

1 cup + 3 T. all purpose flour

1 t. salt

1/2 c. slivered almonds

1 T. finely chopped basil 

Directions

1. Combine butter, basil, and cheese spread in a mixer. Combine well. 

2. Add flour, salt, and nuts and mix well. Don't over mix!

3. Divide dough in half, Place each half on plastic wrap and form into two logs. Place logs in fridge for anywhere from 1 hour to overnight. 

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

5. Slice logs into thin slices and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 

6. Bake crackers for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. They will firm up as they cool. Store in an air tight container and enjoy!

I also made some homemade Ritz crackers. These were hand rolled. You can find the recipe here. 

Oh my word. These were divine. 

Yes, they do taste like Ritz crackers. So buttery and delicious. I put garlic powder on top of mine for added flavor. I could seriously eat an entire recipe of these in on sitting. Luckily, I restrained myself and shared with others :)

A successful challenge, I would say! Enjoy! 

Much love, 

Basil Lime Peaches

Who doesn't love basil, lime, or peaches? 

Those are three of my favorite things, right there! And since today is the fourth of July, why not share a good recipe to make on the grill? Somewhere along the line, I lost my exact copy of this recipe, so this is my guess at the amounts. Feel free to mix it up a bit and let me know what you did differently. The amount of brown sugar is the only thing I'm not sure about - I could have used a couple tablespoons, but I'm almost positive it was 1/4 cup. Like I said, try it and let me know. 

This would be delicious regardless of how much brown sugar you use. The tangy lime juice and honey with the brown sugar make for a great combination! The basil also adds the perfect, unexpected bite to these peaches. So yummy. 

These would be perfect with a scoop of cold, creamy vanilla bean ice cream. They make a great, healthy dessert option!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 c. brown sugar

1-2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped

Juice of one large lime

Lime zest (optional)

3-4 peaches, pitted and halved

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients (except peaches) in a large bowl. Stir until smooth. 

2. Add peaches to bowl and toss until all peaches are coated in the marinade. Set to the side to marinate while you fire up your grill (or grill pan, which is what I used). 

3. Place your peaches, flat side down, on the grill. The marinade will get bubbly and caramelize. You want to see pretty grill marks on these! 

4. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the peaches are nice and soft. Be sure to watch them so they don't burn. Brush with the leftover marinade throughout the cooking time so they get lots of flavor.

Much love,