Joy the Baker - Cooking Spotlight

Once again Girlichef and Hyperion Publishing have combined forces for another Cookbook Spotlight Cook-off.

Finally....my not-yet-in-print Joy the Baker cookbook arrived! A celebration of butter and sugar. I love Joy. Almost as much as I love butter.



Assignment #1 Flax Seed and Cracked Pepper Crackers

The recipe will be at the end so you can look at all the photos of this adventure first. Cool? Cool.

OK, no one said they had to be traditionally shaped.



I don't make many cookies. So, as I rolled out the cracker dough, it was discovered there wasn't a round cookie cutter in the house. I sufficed with a rounded cap....and the only cookie cutter I own. A goat cookie cutter. (Off to Amazon to add cookie cutters to my wish list)



Pop them in the oven for 15 minutes...........



I served them with vegetable cream cheese and a plain cream cheese. That's adventure #1 completed and I have been using these fat crackers as a cream cheese delivery system. (Ok, off to walk off the cream cheese)



I didn't roll them out as thin as I ought to and so...they are a bit thick and fat in the consistency department. They taste like Triscuits. Have you ever had triscuits? Well....that's what they reminded me of and so....if that wasn't the desired result, what can I say?

They are good but next time I will make them thinner.

*This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef.




And here is the recipe from the cookbook.

Ingredients:

1//4 c. golden flax seed
1/4 c. ground flax seed meal
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/2 c. buttermilk


Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Note: I couldn't find flax seed meal but our local co-op New Leaf Market (which also carries Dave Matthews new wine Dreaming Tree. Yes, you heard me :-) sells golden flax seeds. Following Girlichef's suggestion, I bought the flax seed and tossed them in my mini food processor. Worked a charm.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flaxseed, flaxseed meal, flours, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter, and using your fingers, quickly work the butter into the dry ingredients. Some of the butter will resemble oatmeal flakes; others will be the size of small pebbles. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Add the buttermilk, and use a fork to bring all of the ingredients together. Make sure that every bit of flour is moistened by the buttermilk. The dough will be shaggy.

Note: All the buttermilk at my sorry local market had an expiration date for the same day. That very day. So I made my own buttermilk using Joy's instructions from the front of the book. I used vinegar and whole milk to accomplish this.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out half of the dough. Roll just thinner than ⅛ inch thick. Use a 1½-inch round cookie cutter to cut out crackers, or use a pizza cutter to trim the edges and cut the dough into 1½-inch squares. (Clearly I did not do this correctly)

Prick each cracker with the tines of a fork and place on a baking sheet.
Bake crackers for 15 to 18 minutes, until slightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before placing in an airtight container to store.
Will last, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 4 days.

Please go check out the other participants in this amazing cook-off! Tune in next week to read about assignment number 2 from Joy the Baker.

I am sending this to the BYOB because look - I made crackers from scratch. AH-mazing.



Cheers and Bon Appetit!

Tina