Wheat Thins, Anybody?

My kids eat crackers so much - well, Justin and I too.  Crackers with hummus.  Crackers with cheese.  Crackers with peanut butter.  Crackers alone.  Crackers with crackers...  YUM!

So, I've been experimenting for awhile with cracker recipes.  They've all been pretty easy, some with more steps than others, but I've never found one I really loved.  Justin and the kids have liked them all, but I have to love it if I'm going to make them a lot.

Introducing:  the yummy, super easy, tastes just-like-a-nabisco-wheat-thin cracker!  Seriously, this recipe is soooo easy.  The most time consuming part is just rolling them out and cutting them.  One recipe only makes probably what a half a box of nabisco crackers would be, so I double it.  Try them out!  But tell me, do you have a yummy cracker recipe?

HOMEMADE CRACKERS  (from kitchenstewardship.com)

1 ¼ c. whole wheat flour (can use spelt flour, traditional whole wheat or white whole wheat, I use king arthur's whole wheat)

1 ½ Tbs. sugar (or honey, I use sugar)

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. paprika

4 Tbs. butter

¼ c. water

¼ tsp. vanilla

salt for topping (I use kosher salt)

Combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, salt and paprika in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender (or your fingers!) cut the butter thoroughly into the dry mixture until it looks like large crumbs, no bigger than a pea. Combine the water and vanilla in a measuring cup, plus honey if using, and add to the flour mixture. Mix well until combined and dough forms, but only as long as necessary for the most tender crackers.


Use parchment paper, a lightly greased cookie sheet, or an ungreased baking stone. (I roll the dough out directly onto my pampered chef baking stone that is lightly floured so I don't have to worry about moving the ultra thin dough.)


Only use one fourth of the dough at a time. Cover all your surfaces with flour and roll the dough as evenly as you can.  Keep rolling until the dough is as thin as humanly possible without tearing - seriously, I put all my weight on that sucker and roll and roll!  Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife and cut the dough into squares or triangles.  Fork pokes make them look extra authentic. 


Make sure your oven is preheated to 400 F.  Sprinkle the squares lightly with salt.  Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.  Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time, until crisp and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. (If you want to do two trays at once, you can put one on top and one and bottom and switch them halfway through the baking time.) If some of the thinner crackers on the edges brown too quickly, remove them and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking. These crackers bake quickly, so watch them closely.


You want them to be almost crispy, but not totally breakable to deem them “done”, because they will crisp up a bit as they cool.   Remove the crackers from the oven and cool on the pan or on a rack.  These crackers will stay crisp for many days in an airtight container.


Hope you enjoy!!