If a homemade version of something or other exists, and one of us needs or wants it, you know what happens.
Forum cooks almost always (but often only after a lot of time, determination, pawing through their endless recipe collections, and if that fails — using know-how, tracking and searching), somehow and as if by magic, manage to come up with the exact recipe. Or at least a close facsimile.
Naturally, then, when Mardell Anderson told us she desperately needs the how-to for graham crackers…
Let’s start with this one shared by longtime Forum purveyor of wonderful recipes, Cheryl Olsen of Everett.
“When I read Mardell’s request in the paper,” she writes, “I remembered I had seen a recipe for graham crackers, so here it is.
“I haven’t contributed for some time — life and its ups and downs, you know. However, I have clipped quite a few good recipes, and thank you all very much. Your Forum column is always a bright spot in the newspaper amid all the rubble and darkness.”
Cheryl adds, “I hope this recipe works for Mardell. Personally, I can’t wait to try Fern’s pumpkin bread. It sounds yummy! Have a great day, everyone!”
Homemade graham crackers
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups graham flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2teaspoon salt
2 cubes (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar and honey on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add the flour mixture; beat until just combined.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. With a knife or baking scraper, cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each piece between 2 sheets of parchment into rectangles a bit bigger than 6-by-9-inches, about 1/8-inch thick. Trim outermost edges of each rectangle, and divide into three 3-by-6-inch rectangles.
Pressing lightly, to keep from cutting all the way through, score each piece in half lengthwise and crosswise, to form 1 1/2-inch-by-4-inch crackers. Transfer parchment and dough to a baking sheet and chill in a freezer about 20 minutes, or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove sheets from freezer. Using a fork, pierce each piece in a decorative pattern. Transfer parchment with crackers to a large baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until crackers are a deep golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. When crackers are baked, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before breaking crackers along the perforated lines. Store cold crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Good Life section.
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