Baked

Did you have a good weekend? Hope so. Right now, I'm sitting in the wine country region of British Columbia. Such a beautiful (and delicious!) part of the province.

I baked some of these tasty crackers for a bit of a "potluck" picnic, and brought some on our road trip. They are beyond addictive. Please try these ones out, and let me know what you think!

Peppercorn & Parmesan Cornmeal Crackers - makes, well, a lot. I ended up with about 100 mini crackers.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons packed golden brown sugar
4 teaspoons dried peppercorns (I used a mix), coarsely crushed and divided
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes
2/3 cup well shaken buttermilk
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
1 large egg, beaten

In a bowl, whisk together the flours, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons peppercorns, and table salt. Blend in butter, using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add buttermilk and stir just until a dough forms. Gently knead dough, about 6 times, on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in two, flatten slightly, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Mix coarse sea salt and remaining peppercorns in a small bowl.  Roll out one half of dough, on a floured surface, to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out whatever shapes you like (I used hearts, stars, and circles about 1" in size), and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush each cracker with egg and sprinkle the salt and peppercorn mix on each. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Repeat with remaining dough. Cool completely on a wire rack. Try not to eat them all immediately!

I mentioned that I took some to a picnic, and the following pics are how I "packaged" them....

That's it for now. Have a lovely Monday! 

Back soon!

Janis