Browned Butter Rolled Cookies
1 1/2 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Adjust the oven rack to the upper third of the oven. Preheat to 350°F.
In a medium bowl whisk the flours, baking powder and salt.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook about 1 minutes, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a nutty brown. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the sugar and oil. Beat with an electric mixer 1 minute on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla; beat 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Divide the dough in half and press each piece into a disk.
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time, roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out cookies with small (about 2- to 2 1/2-inch) cookie cutters. Place the cookies about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies in the upper third of the oven, 1 sheet at a time, 5-7 minutes until slightly golden on the edges (do not overbake). Let rest on cookies sheets 1 minute, then transfer with spatula to wire racks. Cool completely.
For a non-heart shaped project of late are two types of crackers: Multi-grain and Graham
Multi-grains in the works
finished product
I'd make these again!
Grahams in the works
finished product
This is my second time making these and I would make them yet again
Recipes:
Multi-Seed Crackerbread
2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole rye flour
1/2 cup whole yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water - may not use all of it
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons very coarse salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 450
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cornmeal and salt. Drizzle in olive oil and mix to combine - it will be pretty lumpy looking. Add about 3/4 cup of the water and mix together until the dough comes together. You want it to be stiff, but not crumbly - if it is too dry, add a bit more water. Scoop out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until the dough becomes smooth and supple. Don't knead for 10 minutes like you would bread - you just want the dough to hold together well and be smooth. Divide into 8 equal portions and cover with saran wrap.
In a small bowl, mix together sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds, caraway seeds, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper.
Scatter about 1 tablespoon of the seed mixture onto your work surface - press one piece of dough into the seed mixture and begin to roll it with a rolling pin. Keep turning the dough as you roll it into the seed mixture - flip it over and add a bit more of the seed mixture if it begins to be too sticky. Roll the dough into whatever shape you can - you want to get the dough as thin as you can and have the seeds dispersed throughout the dough. Repeat with the remaining seed mixture and dough.
Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until the top is golden brown - about 7 to 10 minutes. Start watching very close at the 7 minute mark as it can go from golden to too dark in a snap. Remove and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
(Changes I made to this recipe: added Pumpkin seeds because I had them and I think they are yummy, I didn't have whole cornmeal on hand so I used regular old non-whole cornmeal, and I skipped the taragon and thyme on account of not having them)
Homemade Graham Cracker Recipe
makes 36 2 1/2 inch squares.
4 T (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 egg
6 T sugar
4 T honey (Some graham crackers use half honey and half molasses. You might consider trying that as a variation.)
1/2 t baking soda
2 t water
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 C graham flour
3/4 C all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Combine the butter, egg and sugar in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
Stir in the honey and blend.
Dissolve the baking soda in the water and add to the butter mixture.
Add the salt, graham flour, and all-purpose flour to the mixture and blend thoroughly. The dough should hold together and be manageable. If it is too "tacky" add a little more graham flour.
Liberally dust a surface with graham flour and roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. For convenience in handling, cut the rolled dough into three or four sections that will fit on your cookie sheet.
With a knife, score the dough, without cutting through, into 2 1/2 inch squares. Or shape them with a cookie cutter!
Prick each square a few times with the tines of a fork.
Using a spatula, place the sections of scored cracker dough on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake on the first side for about 15 minutes, then turn the cracker over and bake for another 6 or 7 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on racks.
(Changes I made to this recipe: I ground some whole wheat flour and used that alone instead of white/graham flour, the first time I made them I used regular whole wheat flour alone)
