How to Make Homemade Crackers and Spread

Cookbook author, and cooking instructor Ivy Manning demonstrates how easy it is to make tasty crackers, and spread from fresh, seasonal ingredients. According to Manning, “DIY crackers are a great way to save—the average box of “gourmet” crackers costs $6, a batch of homemade crackers or crisps costs pennies!” For those looking for more cracker and dip recipe ideas,  Ivy Manning’s latest book Crackers & Dips: 60 Handmade Snacks is due out Spring of 2013.

Below are her two recipes from the video:

Brown Butter Hazelnut Crackers recipe

recipes courtesy of Ivy Manning
Makes 35 crackers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (4 1/2 oz.) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a rimmed baking sheet exactly.
2. Place the hazelnuts, flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the nuts look like fine cornmeal, about 45 pulses. Add the oil through the feed tube and pulse to combine. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in moist clumps; you may not need all of the water.
3. Gather the dough together and center it on the piece of parchment paper. With moist fingertips, form the dough into a 4-by-6-in/10-by-15-cm rectangle, cover with plastic wrap, and roll the dough out until it covers the entire sheet of parchment; the dough will be about 1/16-inch thick.
4. Remove the plastic wrap and using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2-in/5-cm squares; scraping up any dough that has rolled over the edges of the parchment paper and discarding it. Transfer the dough on the parchment paper to a baking sheet and sprinkle with finishing salt.
5. Bake the crackers until they are light brown and firm when poked, 12 to 15 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet once while baking and watch the crackers carefully—they can go from perfectly cooked to burned in a matter of seconds.
6. Cool the crackers on a rack and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Figgy Bourbon Conserve recipe

Makes 1 3/4 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (1 pint) ripe Mission figs, quartered
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange
• 2 tsp finely grated organic orange zest
• 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions:

1. Place the figs, brown sugar, bourbon, orange juice, orange zest, and sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick, 30 minutes.
2. Cool the mixture until it is just warm to the touch. Blend with an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.