Homemade Graham Crackers

I finally made homemade graham crackers for the first time and LOVED them.  I may never buy the commercial ones again--okay, well, maybe for using the crumbs to make a crust or something, but I just may have to try a crust using homemade sometime, too!  I just don't like how everything you buy has hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup and all the other stuff we can't even pronounce.

I ran across these homemade graham crackers, actually when Maria at Two Peas and Their Pod (how cute and talented is she!) posted them back in November of last year.  I had them in mind to make since then.  Taylor was up for snack at preschool a few days ago and I decided it would be a great time to finally make the graham crackers.  I made some changes to Maria's recipe, but not many.  I think it is a great homemade graham cracker.  Instead of whole wheat flour, I used some graham flour that I have and instead of sugar I used evaporated cane juice sugar.  It worked great!  Here is the recipe as I made them.  Thanks, Maria.  I can't wait to try them as S'mores sometime!  I cut mine a bit thick and may try them a little thinner next time.  I really liked the nuttiness from the graham flour.  I sprinkled them with a cinnamon/sugar mix before baking.  

HOMEMADE GRAHAM CRACKERS

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups graham flour (whole wheat is fine)

1/4 cup evaporated cane juice sugar (regular sugar is fine)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon molasses

1/4 cup water (may need a little more--I used another tablespoonful)

In bowl of food processor, combine flours, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.  Pulse a few times.  Add the cold butter and pulse until texture is dry and crumbly.

In a separate bowl, mix together the honey, molasses and water.  Add to food processor and blend together until it forms a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll the dough out on a well floured surface (I used all purpose).  Roll the dough out pretty thin and cut with cookie cutters or cut into rectangles.  Make fork marks in the dough.  Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper (that's what I use, just a baking sheet would work fine).  You could sprinkle these with sugar or cinnamon/sugar before baking.   

Bake for 11-14 minutes until golden and crisp.  This recipe made 19  3 1/2 inch hearts.

Taylor wanted to be in a picture since these were for his school snack.  Silly!  Stay tuned, I made some chocolate graham crackers today--with a nutty little twist!

Parker has been home from school "sick" for the last two days.  What's up with just having a fever, that's it, nothing else?  Should he be at school?  So rather annoying because he's not really "sick".  So, we've been spending some "quality" time together.  Okay, I LOVE Parker to death.  When he was three and still not really saying very many words, we were a little concerned and had him start preschool where they worked with him a bit on speech and well, since then, he NEVER stops talking.  I mean--never.  As we were walking through the store today, he seriously never went 10 seconds without saying something, and you know, it's usually really important things like, "can I have this?" "can I have that?"............non-stop!  Enough beef about that, I really just wanted to post this picture of Parker because well, while the incident was somewhat funny, Parker concluded by saying "can you take a picture of me and put it on your blog?"

Earlier today Parker decided he wanted an apple.  I cut it up for him and told him to get a cup for it.  In one of the kitchen drawers are all sizes of cups, emptied and washed containers that had sour cream, parmesan cheese, Pringles, fruit cups, etc.  Parker happened to pick a huge apple and while I was cutting it up got a cup to put the slices in.  Of all the choices, he picked the smallest cup and was trying to carry his apples in this.  We (Parker, Taylor and I) got quite the laugh out of it.  Silly!

Does this kid look sick to you? 

After the apple incident, Taylor wanted a picture taken of him with his apple, too.  Exciting, I know.  Try homemade graham crackers!