Friday, March 1, 2013

Daring Bakers' Challenge: Raincoast Crisps

Sarah, from All Our Fingers in the Pie, was our February 2013 Daring Bakers Host, and she challenged us to use our creativity in making our own crispy flatbreads and crackers.





I was originally a little disappointed with this challenge, as there was also a cracker challenge last summer.  However, I was intrigued by the recipe that Sarah provided for Raincoast Crisps, which I had never heard of before.  The technique for making these crispy flatbreads is completely different from the crackers that I made last summer, and I ended up really enjoying this challenge.  The crisps are tasty and healthy, and make a great snack with cheese.  While the original recipe called for raisins, I left them out this time.  I think they would also taste great with dried cranberries.

Mix the ingredients to form a batter, which is baked in a loaf pan.


Slice into thin pieces, and bake.




The crisps taste great on their own, or with cream cheese and pepper jelly!




Raincoast Crisps
Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/8 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/8 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/8 cup flax seeds
1/8 cup sesame seeds
2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8" x 4" loaf pan by greasing with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add buttermilk, brown sugar and honey, and stir a few times.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until just mixed.

3. Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, until golden-brown.  Remove loaf from pan and allow to cool completely, preferably overnight.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 325 F.

5. Cut loaf into very thin slices, and cut each slice in half.  Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 15 minutes.  Flip slices over and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until crispy.  Watch carefully to make sure they don't burn!

6. Allow to cool, and enjoy!

Original recipe available at http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/recipe/crisp-crackers-and-flatbreads

-Posted by Jennifer