Better than Better Cheddars. These cheddar crackers are packed with pecans and spiced with thyme and hot sauce. Yes, a real treat that makes me nostalgic for cheesy cracker snacks from my childhood. The best part about these, aside from the taste and all, is that every single ingredient is recognizable and understood by anyone who can read the words in the recipe. A few ingredients, none of which are confusing. Sure, many store bought crackers and snacks do the trick, taste good and are easy to grab and munch… but it’s so nice to eat without the unnecessary ingredients and mystery flavoring. Hmm, I don’t know about you but all the “extras” lining the prepackaged foods in the markets are unsettling to me (creep me out), I much prefer to eat homemade snacks. I was excited to find this cheddar cheese cracker recipe from The Other Side of Fifty; what doesn’t sound appealing about cheese crackers? Not a thing… they’re delicious!

This recipe, like the Black Pepper Parmesan Cracker recipe, calls for a food processor. And still… I have no food processor but managed to make them anyway. The one problem that may come up is with the pecans – a stand mixer would not pulse and chop pecans up as a food processor would. I used my magic bullet, but if I didn’t have one I would would have used a knife. I love that there are pecans in this mix!

I made the two cracker types on the same day. I was intrigued to make the crackers side by side because they have a similar process but very different ingredients. A peppery parmesan vs. thyme, cheddar, and pecan. Yum… I’ll try both!

Cheddar Pecan Crackers
Adapted from The Other Side of Fifty

½ cup pecans
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (room temperature)
¼ cup butter (room temperature)
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1-2 teaspoons milk or half and half (may not need)

Be sure to have your cheese shredded and butter set out to be at room temperature.

Pulse pecans until finely chopped.  I left some bigger chunks in the mix as well. Place in a bowl and add flour. Whisk to combine.

Place cheese and butter in to the mixer/food processor and combine until smooth. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get a nice creamy smooth mix out of it with the stand mixer. I think with both the cheese and the butter being at room temperature it was easier than I thought to combine until smooth. However, it would be some work to do by hand. Add thyme and hot sauce and mix until incorporated. I put twice as much thyme as suggested and I may even put more next time. The original recipe calls for ¼ teaspoon, I added ½ teaspoon. We rarely use dried thyme and we happened to have a jar of it left over from last year’s garden. For hot sauce I used Sriracha as suggested and I made my teaspoon heaping. It had an evident yet subtle spice – really nice.

Add the flour pecan mixture and blend until it comes together. It may be crumbly but it should still stick together. If your mix is too dry add a small amount of milk or half and half until it all comes together – I did not have to do this. Remove dough from the bowl and form into a ball. On a clean work surface roll ball into an 8″ log. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. I refrigerated it overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. With a sharp knife slice log into 1/8″ rounds and place on the baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. I flipped my crackers half way through baking to brown on both sides, but that’s not necessary. Place them on a cooling rack to cool before stacking and storing.

These crackers were delicious. Light and crumbly like a shortbread cookie. Cheesy with a little spice and beautiful flecks of thyme and pecans. They make a great stand alone snack or of course are delicious accompanied by a dip!

Last weekend I went on another internet cracker hunt. I found two recipes that had a similar method but completely different ingredient ideas.  One is this parmesan black pepper cracker recipe from Stresscake, elaborated below, and the other is a cheddar thyme cracker to be posted next time. Like short bread cookies these crackers are formed into a log, chilled, sliced and then baked. It was only a few weeks ago that I had made my first shortbread cookie ever and I loved it! I love that you can make it in two parts. Mix the dough today and have fresh crackers or cookies tomorrow. Somehow dividing the work makes the whole – I make my own crackers – concept a little less ridiculous.  But of course there’s nothing wrong with rolling out the crackers either!  My cracker recipe hunt is nowhere near over and I still plan on making the poppy seed crackers regularly as well as expanding with more recipes. It’s just nice to have many snack options! Crackers are awesome alone or with dip or cheese. Snack snack snack. Give these a try…

Parmesan Black Pepper Crackers
this recipe was found on Stresscake

1½ cups all-purpose flower
1 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2/3 cup sour cream

The original recipe suggests using a food processor. I don’t have one. I’m sure the crackers could be mixed by hand but I decided to use the stand mixer instead and it seemed to work just fine. There’s always a way to get around using kitchen equipment you don’t have! Pretty much if you have a knife, spoon, and bowl – you’re set! On to the crackers…

Place flour, parmesan, salt and black pepper into the bowl of your mixer or food processor to combine (pulse or stir).  I used 2 tablespoons of fresh coarsely ground black pepper. Next time I make them I will do the same, however theses crackers are seriously black peppery – it may be a bit strong for some. I happen to love black pepper and thought the flavor was great; it’s probable that fresh ground pepper will make a stronger flavor, so if you’re not a black pepper lover cut back just a little.

Cut the unsalted butter in to ½” cubes and add it to the flour. Pulse or mix. Add sour cream and mix until combined.

Remove mixture from the bowl and turn it out on a clean work surface. Knead a few times to make sure any dry bits are incorporated.

Divide the cracker dough into 2 or 3 parts and shape each into a log. Wrap each well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to two days. I let mine sit over night.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the first log from the refrigerator and unwrap. With a sharp knife cut into thick rounds. Cut them in to 1/4″ crackers or thinner if possible. Rotate the log as you slice to help maintain the round shape. Continue on and cut through the other logs.  Place cracker rounds onto the prepared baking sheets leaving about 1/4″ of space in between.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Rotate the sheet halfway between. I actually rotated everything half way between and baked them just a little longer. The thickness of the crackers as well as your oven will vary the time. My old oven fluctuates in temperature a bit – cooking time really does vary for me. After about 7 minutes I flipped each cracker in order to get an even golden tone. The cracker side faced the baking sheet browns first.

The crackers came out looking beautiful. My favorite part about their look aside form the coarse cracks of black pepper was how the parmesan somewhat melts out and browns when baked. Parmesan sparkles.

Tightly store for a couple of days at room temperature – but these crackers were best eaten fresh! We ate them with Roasted red pepper and olive cream cheese dip as well as with cottage cheese; any creamy dip would compliment the bite of these nicely.

Thank you Stresscake for sharing this delicious cracker recipe – you simply cannot find anything like it in the average grocery store! So, I guess you’ll have to make your own!

I’ve been making little egg rolls for years now and I’ve never been disappointed. I’ve switched up the ingredients and the proportions many times.  Some things work better than others of course; I’ve made them too garlicky or too peppery before but still… they’re always delicious.  Of course the ones I make are not traditional and don’t even involve egg — just a familiar name for a familiar concept, bite sized fried-up goodness in a hand-rolled form.

Here is a recipe to get you started on making your own.

This recipe is for about 40-50 mini egg rolls:
(sounds like a lot but they go quick!)

1 pack of wanton wrappers, usually 60 sheets
2-3 cups red cabbage (1/2 small head)
3/4 cups shredded carrots (2-4 medium carrots)
1/2 cup mushrooms chopped
1 large clove of garlic minced
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (heaping)
1/2 block tofu (1 1/4 cup crumbled)
1 tablespoon soy sauce & 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
splash of olive oil & sesame oil

vegetable oil for frying

Be sure to allow enough time before you get started for your wanton wrappers to thaw if necessary.  Press tofu to drain as much excess moisture as possible.  You can pat it dry with some paper towels and set it under a plate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Finely chop cabbage and shred carrots. Cut mushrooms into small bits. Finely mince ginger and garlic, keep separate from other vegetables.

In another bowl, crumble the tofu. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce & 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper. Stir.

In a wok or frying pan heat up a splash of olive oil and a drizzle of sesame oil. Add garlic and ginger, saute over medium heat for a moment until garlic is fully cooked.  Add cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots and cook for about 1 minute.  This is a really quick fry, you don’t need to cook it much at all in order to preserve a bit of crunch in the filling. Add the tofu mixture, stir up and add kosher salt to taste.  Remove from heat and transfer in to a bowl. The filling is complete, you should have 4-5 cups worth.

Get ready to fill the wanton wraps. Create a work area fully equipped with a rolling surface, a bowl of water for sealing, and a landing zone for the egg rolls ready to be fried.

Put one wanton skin on your work surface. Place one tablespoon of filling in the middle.  Doesn’t seem like a lot of filling but it’s enough. If you start off packing it with too much it will be very difficult to roll. Once you roll a few you will get a feel for how much filling works best for you, there will be plenty of chances to practice. As you are working through the filling towards the bottom of the bowl you may have extra moisture, try to work around it rather than include it in your rolls. If moisture escapes while frying you may have some spitting oil. Ouch.

Begin rolling by folding one corner of the wanton over the filling. Dip your finger in water and lightly wet the next corner to be folded towards the center. The water will help seal it closed. As you fold the side over be sure to tuck and close any openings on that side. Repeat this step for the other side.

Complete the mini roll by wetting the last edge and folding it over. It’ll look like a cute little package. It might be a little sloppy at first but it won’t take long to get the hang of it. If you happen to rip a wanton or two don’t fret, you’ll have a few left over anyway. Put completed rolls on to a plate, be sure to stack them in such a way that they don’t stick together — give them a chance to dry for a moment before you pile them on top of each other.

Once the all the filling is depleted and rolled into mini egg rolls it’s time to fry! Deep fry! We use a small sauce pot filled with about an inch and a half of vegetable or canola oil and a wire basket utensil to remove them from the oil. Use a utensil that will allow the oil to drain directly over the pot and off of the roll.  I like to use a small pot in order to use less oil and also because we can only fit a couple in the oil at a time, which means it’s easier to handle 2-3 frying egg rolls rather than having the option of dealing with many more at once. Seems safer for a makeshift home deep frying set up, they cook rather quickly once the oil is hot and you don’t want to have too much to deal with at one time. Prepare a landing zone for the freshly fried egg rolls. I usually use a baking sheet lined with Viva paper towels, a plate with a few paper towels works too.

When you’re ready to fry, check if the oil is hot enough by tossing in a small piece of wanton. It should quickly fry up and float to the top. If it sinks or takes awhile to fry continue to heat the oil and test again. Once the oil is ready lower one mini egg roll to start, it’ll float to the top with a beautiful crisp golden color. Transfer onto the baking sheet and carry on. Once you are confident with the cooking time you can decide to fry a few at a time. Best to start slow if you haven’t done this before so there aren’t any accidents. Hot oil is not something worth rushing around.

Be careful and enjoy as is or dip in some sweet & sour, soy, or plum sauce.

There are definitely many right ways to make stuffed mushrooms.  It’s an extremely easy dish to make and to improvise with whatever you have.  With the simple guideline of “top mushrooms with filling,” the possibilities are endless.

This dish makes a great appetizer, side, snack, or even a small meal. We made a similar version of these mushrooms for a dinner party a few weeks ago with the only real difference being the cheese we used.  They’re great for parties whether you are the host or you are bringing them with you.  Make ahead and pop them in to the oven 25 minutes before you’re ready to enjoy.

recipe:

about 2 8oz packages of baby bella mushrooms

2 cups frozen spinach
1 roasted pepper
4 cloves roasted garlic
1+ cups cheese (sharp cheddar, havarti, swiss all work well)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8- 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper powder or cayenne
handful of toasted pine nuts (optional)

1/4 cup bread crumbs toasted with butter

Prepare your roasted pepper and roasted garlic ahead of time.  Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly brush pepper with oil, wrap a head (or half) of garlic drizzled with a little olive oil in tinfoil and place both on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, flip pepper half way through. Allow to cool before handling.

Meanwhile prepare the filling. Thaw spinach and drain excess water- if you are using fresh spinach saute it for a moment to wilt.  Grate the cheese; we used cheddar for this recipe, but last time it was havarti. It’s ok to switch things up. Both were delicious. Toast a handful of pine nuts — dry toast them in a small pan with no oil, shake them around over the heat until they’re nice and toasty.  Dice the roasted pepper and peel the garlic.  Combine all of these ingredients along with spice and salt to taste. Set aside.

Clean mushrooms and pop off stems. Place mushrooms caps cup side up in a glass baking dish. We use a shallow 8 x 12 glass baking dish.  Use whatever you have — a couple of pie dishes or a lasagna dish would work well too. The filling should be enough to top 2 8 oz packs of mushrooms.  The size of the mushrooms and the amount of room on your baking dish may vary the proportions. Disperse filling into the caps.

Finish the stuffed mushrooms off with bread crumbs.  For this recipe we used panko bread crumbs and fried them up with a little butter, probably about a tablespoon or so.  You can add some parmesan to the mix if you want.  If you are interested in making your own bread crumbs from scratch, check here for some inspiration.

Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes.

Try out our recipe or make up your own! If you don’t have all of the ingredients we used consider what else might taste nice here…. artichoke hearts, olives, goat cheese, tomatoes, Parmesan, carrots, edamame, kale, walnuts… no onions… this list could go on for days- you get the point.

Over the past year or so crunchy chickpeas have been flooding the food blog world.  There’s a good reason for it too! They’re inexpensive, simple to make, delicious, and healthy.  You don’t really need a recipe to make them. I first made these crunchy chickpeas several months ago and I’ve been hooked ever since! I’m always on the lookout for tasty snacks especially ones that can be readily available at any given surge of hunger. A grab on the go or snag a few here and there snack. I keep these around the house and at work nearly always.

The crunchy chickpea snack concept is great because you can modify it to fit your taste and you can make as much or as little as you require.  The batch I make is plenty for the week with enough to share — spicy, and salty. The cooking process takes about an hour depending on your oven and the amount you are baking at once.  The entire process is simple and straight forward but it does require you to stand by in order to mix them up throughout baking.  A good timer is helpful.

Ingredients :

3 cups dried chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1½ – 2 teaspoons hot chili powder or cayenne

I use dried chickpeas to start but you can use canned as well. When using dry chickpeas pre-soak over night or all day.  I’ll usually just set them out to soak in the morning if I want to bake them in the evening. Once soaked for several hours, drain the chickpeas and put them in a pot with new water to boil.  Simmer until cooked.

Strain the chickpeas and pour them onto a clean towel to completely dry and cool off. I believe this step is extremely important, allowing them to air off and cool off helps eliminate a lot of steam which is moisture.  I have noticed a huge difference when I have not allowed them to cool down — the chickpeas have a harder crunch to them which to me is less pleasant to eat.  By eliminating as much moisture before you bake them I believe you get nicer light and crispy texture.

Preheat oven to about 400°

Once the chickpeas are cooked and cooled, place them into a baking dish. I use a 9 x 13 Pyrex lasagna dish.  I would recommend using something with sides because throughout baking the chickpeas will need to be stirred around.  I’ve used a regular baking sheet before and found it pretty difficult to stir them up adequately (while in a hot oven — wear a mitt!) without knocking them off the sides. I also felt that the chickpeas were quicker to burn on a thinner baking sheet — the glass dish just makes more sense to me especially when you are preparing several cups worth of snacks ;)

Season the chickpea directly in the baking dish. Pour oil, sprinkle spices & kosher salt to taste, stir up to evenly coat the batch. Give it a taste before popping it in the oven.

The baking time may vary slightly but will end up to be just over an hour to an hour and a half. Set the timer for 15 minutes and then stir the chickpeas well, repeat an additional 3 times.  This will take about 45 minutes ;) taste test a few for crispiness and keep a closer watch as they finish baking.  I just keep lessening the interval between mixings until they are done to avoid burning them at the end! You’ll know when they’re done because they will be super crispy and delicious; because there are so many chickpeas baking at once, the textures will vary slightly, some may be a little darker (burnt), others a bit lighter (chewy), and the rest of them will be perfectly crispy.

Make these your new savory snack!