Recipe from Genevieve Ko
Adapted by Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 1 hour plus freezing
- Rating
- 5(117)
- Notes
- Read community notes
These slightly sweet, extremely simple crackers, adapted from "Better Baking" by Genevieve Ko, can be stirred together in minutes in one bowl, no electric mixer required. They are then baked twice – once in loaf pans and once after freezing and slicing – making them crisp all the way through. Serve them with cheese or pâté, or even on their own as a snack. And feel free to personalize these by substituting other dried fruits and nuts for the raisins and pecans. Chopped dried figs and hazelnuts make another wonderful combination. —Melissa Clark
Featured in: The Year’s Best Baking Cookbooks
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Ingredients
Yield:About 8 dozen crackers
- Butter for pans
- ½cup/71 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½cup/67 grams whole-wheat pastry flour
- ⅓cup/69 grams granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon minced fresh tarragon or crushed fennel seeds
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1cup/245 grams buttermilk
- 1cup/109 grams pecans
- ¾cup/125 grams golden raisins
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (96 servings)
21 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 17 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Place a baking sheet on center rack of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Butter three 5¾- by 2¼-inch or four 4¼- by 2½-inch mini loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter the paper.
Step
2
In a large bowl, whisk both flours, sugar, tarragon or fennel seeds, baking soda and salt Add buttermilk and stir until smooth. Fold in pecans and raisins until evenly distributed. Divide among prepared pans, filling ¼-inch from the top (batter will rise slightly in the oven), and smooth tops.
Step
3
Place pans on baking sheet and bake until loaves are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Slide a thin-bladed knife around the pan edges. Carefully invert the loaves onto a wire rack, and discard the parchment. Cool completely, right side up on the rack.
Step
4
Freeze loaves on a pan until very firm, at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.
Step
5
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
Step
6
Working with one frozen loaf at a time, cut ⅛-inch-thick slices with a sharp serrated bread knife. Arrange slices on prepared pan, spacing them ¼-inch apart. Bake one pan at a time until crackers are browned and crisp, about 20 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer crackers to wire racks and let cool completely.
Ratings
5
out of 5
117
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Cooking Notes
Bekka R
These are soooo good. I’ve made these many times, both as written and with variations.A few notes:1) you don’t need the parchment paper at all. I butter my pans lightly and the loaves slide right out.2) these work with almost any combination of nuts, a heart herb, and dried fruit. Same with changing up flours. So far my favorite is rosemary/pistachio/dried cherry. Yum!3) I generally cut down on the sugar, to keep them feeling a bit healthier—more like 1/4 cup works just fine.
KCWS
I bake in one 9x5 loaf pan and then cut it in half before freezing.
dee
2nd loaf cooked @300 for 30 minutes.
Carolina P
Following suggestions on subbing plain yogurt thinned with milk for the buttermilk, and reducing sugar. I am using pecans, and am soaking dried cranberries in a bit of rum while I prepare everything. I have a misc assortment of small loaf pans, so I am going to experiment with the spice/herb component - this should be fun!
TAZ
Delicious! Agree with other bakers about cutting the sugar in half to make it less cookie-like.
TAZ
Cut sugar in half to make it less like a cookie and more like a cracker. Delicious!
Louisa
I love these crackers! I used an 8x4 pan--not a problem--and I lowered the sugar to 1/4 cup. Fennel and golden raisins are perfect together. I have served with a mild goat cheese which was delicious. I also consider them a cookie of sorts and often have them for dessert.I have tried other fruit and nut combos and flours and have yet to come up with anything that rivals the original, but I will keep trying. It's a fun challenge to do 2 batches simultaneously with different flavor profiles.
Karen
Fingers crossed! I just finished the first baking and it smells amazing. I subbed freshly cushed cardamom for the spice and homemade keifr for the buttermilk I did not have on hand. Oh, and I didn't have while wheat pastry flour.
bachelorette
Here are changes for those of us with nothing special around the pantry who only want a 1/2 batch. 3/8 cup all-purpose flour1/8 cup corn starch1/6 cup sugar1/2 tsp crushed herb (I used crushed rosemary from the spice rack)1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt1/2 cup milk plus 2 Tbsp lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)1/2 cup whole nuts (I picked pistachios from a trail mix) 1/2 cup raisins (also found in trail mix)Do everything else the same but only use one tiny glass terrine pan.
christina
Also cut the sugar to 1/8 cup and didn’t do second bake. Really really good.
Leslie
Absolutely delicious! I used all-purpose flour and a local foisy whole wheat flour. My husband can't do pecans or walnuts, so used local hazelnuts and, lacking raisins, used dates. Must like the Raincoast Crips, the possibilities for changing this recipe up are plentiful. I may never buy crackers again!
Leslie Suelter
I could not find any "whole wheat pastry flour" nor did I really want to buy any for only 1/2 cup. But I did have whole wheat flour and regular pastry flour. So, I simply swapped the flours...I used 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour, and I used 1/2 cup pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour. The result was just great. Easy peasy!!! Good luck. This is an easy recipe to make.
jddunning
These are so much better than Rainforest Toast. Pairs so well with St. Angel, a soft buttery cheese
Jeanne
These remind me of Leslie Stowe crackers. So easy! Used figs instead of raisins. Didn’t have mini loaf pans so used an 8x8. They don’t rise much so they ended up long and thin, biscotti like. I will try a regular loaf pan next time. And there will be a next time!
Bekka R
These are soooo good. I’ve made these many times, both as written and with variations.A few notes:1) you don’t need the parchment paper at all. I butter my pans lightly and the loaves slide right out.2) these work with almost any combination of nuts, a heart herb, and dried fruit. Same with changing up flours. So far my favorite is rosemary/pistachio/dried cherry. Yum!3) I generally cut down on the sugar, to keep them feeling a bit healthier—more like 1/4 cup works just fine.
Marge
Great recipe! Thank you!Wonderful alone or with cheese,...Roquefort anyone?
Susan
Delicious. Could reduce sugar - a little too sweet for my taste. Made with pecans, dried cherries and 1/2 c rye flour instead of whole wheat.
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