Homemade Graham Crackers

This recipe is modified from a recipe I found in a magazine (I think *Mother Earth News*) sometime in the late 70’s or early 80’s when Dan and I lived on a 160 acre plot south of Floodwood, Minnesota.  I have not experimented with a gluten—free version yet.  If anyone has, let me know if you’ve had success.

Homemade Graham Crackers

2 cups graham flour (you can use whole wheat, but it lacks the texture of graham flour)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter (or margarine for the cholesterol-conscious), softened

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup honey (I like a darker honey for the rich flavor and color, but any will do)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk (I use skim, but a friend uses half and half)

Cinnamon and sugar mix for topping (optional)

Combine and mix dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix butter, brown sugar and honey. Add dry ingredients a little at a time alternating with milk and vanilla.

Cover dough with wax paper and a damp towel on top of the paper. Chill in the fridge for about 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into 4 parts.

On a well-floured surface, roll the cold doughout one quarter at a time into about 5×15 inch rectangle. Divide into rectangles using a knife. Place rectangles onto ungreased cookie sheets. Trace a line down the center of each one with a knife, and prick with a fork.  Think about the way a store-bought graham cracker looks.

In all reality though, it makes no difference if your cracker is perfectly symmetrical with evenly spaced fork pricks or asymmetrical with randomly placed fork pricks.  They are your crackers, after all!

I love a cinnamon-flavored cracker, so I sometimes sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture just before baking.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in preheated oven.  Cool on racks or paper towel.  Racks work best though because you don’t want a moist cracker.  If you use paper towels, turn them upside down on fresh paper towels after a couple minutes to keep them dry.