Homemade honey graham crackers are a simple, not-too-sweet treat
Store-bought graham crackers are fine. I've eaten my share of them both as a child and an adult. I tend to think of them as a supporting player, however — as the outside of s'mores, spread with peanut butter or Nutella, toasted in butter as an ice cream add-in or crushed and formed into a press-in pie crust. I don't usually reach for one to eat on its own.
That changes now, with these graham crackers from “The Fannie Farmer Baking Book,” a classic by beloved cookbook author Marion Cunningham. If you're anything like me, you'll find any and every excuse for eating them plain. While they have the nutty flavor and hearty texture of a graham cracker, they'll tempt you as much as your favorite cookie. The flavor of the honey absolutely comes through, though not so much to make them overpoweringly sweet.
In addition to just tasting splendid, the graham crackers have a couple of other things going for them. They're made in one bowl, which is nice since we're probably all doing way more dishes at home than we're used to. And in times when flour can be hard to come by, the recipe calls for a relatively restrained amount — 1½ cups of whole-wheat and ¾ cup of all-purpose.
There's also plenty of room for your own interpretation here. Cut the crackers into any shape or pattern you want (here's where you can employ your kids if you or they are so inclined). Depending on whether you like a thin and crispy cracker or something thicker and chewier, you can change the thickness of the dough. Keep in mind the yield and bake time may differ.
Whichever way you decide to make them, you'll be in for a real treat.
Marion Cunningham's Graham Crackers
Active: 50 minutes | Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
These are reminiscent of commercial graham crackers, but are so much more flavorful and fresh.
The original recipe, first published in The Post in 1984, called for graham flour, which is whole-wheat flour.
Make Ahead: The crackers can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
4 tablespoons (½ stick/57 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, well beaten
6 tablespoons (81 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (77 grams) honey
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons water
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (210 grams) whole-wheat flour, plus extra for dusting
¾ cup (107 grams) all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have 2 ungreased rimmed baking sheets at hand.
Combine the butter, egg and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or handheld electric mixer; beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the honey and beat to incorporate.
In a small bowl or jar, dissolve the baking soda in the water, then add to the butter mixture and beat to combine briefly; then reduce the mixer speed to low, add the salt whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour and mix to thoroughly combine. The dough should hold together, be manageable and start to form larger clumps around the paddle. If it is too tacky, add a little more whole-wheat flour.
Liberally dust a work surface with whole-wheat flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch, into a rectangle slightly larger than 10 inches by 16 inches. Use a knife to trim the edges into straight lines and then cut into 14 rectangles that are 5 inches by 2½ inches. Use the tines of a fork to score each rectangle into fourths, taking care not to punch all the way through the dough. Then lightly prick each quarter a few times. (Alternatively, you may cut, score and prick the dough in any shape or pattern you like. The bake time should stay about the same.) Use a thin spatula to transfer the rectangles to the baking sheets.
Bake for 8 minutes, then turn the crackers over and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and baked through. More time will yield a darker crispier, cracker. Transfer the crackers to a wire rack to cool before serving or storing.
Variation: To make cinnamon graham crackers, substitute ¼ cup of sugar for the honey and add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients before combining.
Makes fourteen 5 by 2½-inch rectangles
Nutrition | Calories: 156; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 22 mg; Sodium: 134 mg; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Sugars: 10 g; Protein: 3 g.
(Adapted from “The Fannie Farmer Baking Book,” by Marion Cunningham. Knopf, 1984.)