Our boycott of store-bought crackers and the cracker baking experiment at our house continues. Check my earlier thread on the Wheat Thin recipe for info on the book these recipes come from.

Corn Chips

I thought they would be more like Fritos, but they're actually a good cracker. You could probably deep fry them and get the actual chips.

1 cup cornmeal, 2/3 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 Tbsp instant nonfat dry milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, 1/8 tsp tabasco sauce, paprika (or cajun seas)

1. combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and dry milk

2. combine water, oil, worcestershire sauce, and tabasco sauce

3. stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients, form into ball, knead a little until smooth,

4. sprinkle two flat greased cookie sheets with cornmeal

5. divide dough in half, roll each half directly onto cookie sheet with floured rolling pin until dime thin

6. sprinkle lightly with paprika or cajun seas, run rolling pin over once more

7. cut into squares or triangles, prick with fork

8. bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until lightly browned

I don't have flat cookie sheets without the edges, so I used a glass to roll the dough close to the edges, my rolling pin was too big for this, and the thinner you get them, the crispier they will be

Leave them out on a cooling rack overnight to dry completely, then put in airtight container, if you can keep them that long, they should last for at least a week

Toasty Wheat Oat Crackers (this is the one I try next)

1 cup oat flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp salt or garlic salt, 3 Tbsp butter, 1/2 cup water

1. combine flours, brown sugar, sesame seeds and salt

2. cut in butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs

3. mix in water till dry ingredients are moistened

4. shape dough into a 9" x 1 1/2" log, wrap and chill several hours

5. slice 1/8" thick, place slices on ungreased baking sheet, flatten till very thin with tines of fork

6. bake at 375 for 12-15 mins or till edges brown, cool on rack

Note: to make oat flour, place 1 1/4 cups rolled oats in a blender or food processor, cover, process 60 seconds or till evenly ground, makes about 1 cup

If no one objects, I'll keep posting the recipes and their results as I try them.

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), February 14, 2001

Answers

Thank you Rose Marie. Please do keep posting-been wanting to do crackers for a long time.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 14, 2001.

I certainly don't object, in fact THANKS! I really appreciate it, and will try them both out. Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), February 14, 2001.

Thanks, Rose Marie. They sound yummy. Looking forward to more.

-- Rheba (rbeall@etown.net), February 14, 2001.

Rose, I just found a whole bunch of really interesting cracker recipes in Carla Emery's, The Encyclopedia of Country Living. Those of you that like to make your own crackers, might find it worthwhile to take a look at her book. Sincerely, Ernest www.communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks

-- Ernest in the Ozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), February 15, 2001.

Here is a recipe that came from Yankee Magazine, and they taste like Wheat Thins:

3 c. uncooked oatmeal 2 c. unbleached flour 1 c. wheat germ 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 3/4 c. oil 1 c. water Mix ingredients and roll out onto two cookie sheets. Sprinkle with salt, lightly roll again to press salt in. Cut into squares or diamonds. Bake at 350 degrees. After 20 mins., begin checking. Remove crackers as they turn golden brown and hard.

-- Traci rae Davis (krystalgrace61@yahoo.com), June 08, 2001.

I tried to find more cracker recipes at www.communities.msn.com/liningoffthelandintheozarks

First time I did't know where to look. The second time I couldn't get in. Please help!

-- melinda (melalfred36@yahoo.com), October 01, 2001.