Pecan-Raisin Crackers
I usually prefer savory crackers but these pecan-raisin crackers are an exception. And pair excellently with cheeses, especially blue cheese. I used Melissa Clark’s Golden Raisin and Pecan Thins recipe (which acknowledges that the recipe comes from”Better Baking” by Genevieve Ko) and made a few adjustments. These crackers keep for over a week, though anecdotally, I’ve heard friends say they were still tasty after almost two weeks. Truth be told, they don’t last that long in my house.
Yields about 4 dozen crackers
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup pecans
- ¾ cup raisins
PREPARATION
Place a baking sheet on center rack of oven and heat to 350 degrees. I like rectangular crackers so use a 8.5″ x 4.5″ loaf pan but you can mix and match mini-loaf pans. Whatever you choose, make sure to liberally butter the loaf pans.
In a large bowl, whisk both flours, sugar, fennel seeds, baking soda and salt. Add buttermilk and stir. Fold in pecans and raisins.
Divide the batter between loaf pans and tap to even out.
Place pans on baking sheet and bake until loaves are golden brown, checking with a toothpick and remove when one comes out clean. This will take 30-45 minutes.
Slide a knife around the pan edges to loosen and cool loaves on a wire rack until completely cool to the touch.
Freeze loaves until very firm, at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.
When ready to bake, heat oven to 300 degrees. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
Cut the loaf into very thin 1/8″ slices with a serrated knife. Arrange slices on sheet. Because they have been baked once, they won’t expand so you can set them very closely to each other.
Bake one sheet at a time until crackers are browned and crisp, about 30 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer crackers to wire racks and let cool completely.
As you can see, the crackers line up nicely for packaging.
