Chive Blossom Crackers (Whole Wheat)

Submitted by Just Garlic

"These would be perfect for a cheese board, brunch, tea, and to give away as small gifts. My chives were flowering and I wanted to do something different with them, and the results were both beautiful and full of flavor. No chive blossoms, no chives? This is a flexible basic recipe--you can easily swap the seasonings for what you'd like and have on hand. Just decrease the water a bit if you add something moist (olives, shredded cheeses, etc.). Keep in an airtight container at room temperature."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 40-60 crackers
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons butter or 8 tablespoons margarine, chilled and cubed
• 1⁄2 cup water, plus extra if necessary
• 3 -4 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped, with blossoms if possible
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Make the cracker dough, starting with the dry ingredients. I use my stand mixer, but you can do it by hand. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and mix thoroughly to distribute.
3. Now the wet ingredients for the basic dough: add the cubed butter and mix until crumbly. Then add the water and mix thoroughly. You want the texture to be like very wet sand: it should hold it's shape when pressed together firmly, but you do NOT want a sticky dough. Add water in additional tablespoons (you may need up to an additional 1/2 cup depending on your climate) until you reach this texture.
4. The basic dough is ready and you can add your seasonings. So add the chives, sesame seeds, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper, and give everything a good final mix.
5. Make the crackers in batches. For each batch, roll out as thinly as you can (1/8 to 1/16 inch) a large handful of the dough, cut apart into your desired shapes (I made small rectangles), and transfer the shapes to lightly sprayed baking sheets. Bake each tray of crackers for 8-12 minutes, or until the bottoms JUST start to gain color. Be careful: these can burn quickly. Remove crackers to a rack to cool; they will become more crisp as they set. For crispier crackers, roll very thinly; roll thicker for more toothsome crackers.