Homemade Saltine Crackers

Here’s a quick and easy homemade cracker recipe that tastes just like saltines. Often it ends up being cheaper to buy them at the store, but it’s fun to make them every once in a while. The taste is great and you can control the amount of salt (if any) you put on them.

Basic Saltines:

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup butter
½ cup milk
1 large egg

You will also need a large mixing bowl and and a fine sieve to make your crackers.

Sift flour, salt and baking powder and place into a large mixing bowl.
Cut cold butter into small chunks and “cut” into the flour until it reaches a grainy consistency.
Add milk and egg and knead until it becomes a stiff dough. Roll the dough out really thin. You can cut the dough into squares or you can also cut circles.
Prick little holes in the crackers with a fork and bake them in a 400 degree preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

*Tip: If you would like to make round crackers and don’t have any cookie cutters, just use the rim of a small glass or cup. Dip the rim into a little flour first and then you can cut your crackers.

If you like salted crackers, sprinkle the uncooked crackers with a little bit of coarse salt.

Parmesan Herb Crackers:

1 stick unsalted butter
3 ozs grated Parmesan cheese
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Place butter into the bowl of your electric mixer and mix it until it becomes creamy.

Grate fresh Parmesan cheese (it’s okay if you need to buy already grated Parmesan from the market). Add cheese, flour, salt and thyme to the butter and mix until it form a ball of dough.

Place a long piece of plastic wrap on your work surface and place the dough ball in the center of one end. Form the dough into a log and roll it up in the plastic.Place the log into the freezer for 30 min.(this makes it easier to slice.)

Remove from the freezer after thirty minutes and cut the log into ¼ inch thick slices. Place the slices on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes.

Homemade Coat N’ Bake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients well.  Store in airtight container.

When ready to use, place 1/4 cup coating mix in a plastic bag and add chicken or pork chops one piece at a time, shaking to coat.  Bake 1 hour at 400*F.  A two pound fryer will use about 1/4 cup coating.

Butter

1 pint heavy cream, chilled

Pour cream into a quart sized mason jar and tighten lid well.  Shake for a very long time, until the butter forms into a big blob in the jar.  Drain the remaining liquid.  Press the fresh butter into a butter mold or a bowl.  Chill.

To make flavored butter,  stir in one of the following before chilling:
Honey Butter: 2 tablespoons honey
Garlic Butter:  2 cloves minced garlic, a dash of oregano
Herbed Butter:  1 tablespoon dried herb of your choice (oregano, basil, dill, chives, etc.)

8  Servings

Bullseye BBQ Sauce

1 cup Ketchup
6 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons White Vinegar
1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard
3 tablespoons finely minced yellow onion
4 teaspoons Hickory Flavor Liquid Smoke
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or Crystal Red Pepper Hot Sauce
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Granulated White Sugar
1 teaspoon table salt

Combine all ingredients in a 2-qt sauce pan. Mix well.
Simmer over very low heat for 15-minutes, stirring occasionally.
Makes 2 cups of sauce.

Watermelon Margaritas

4 Dulcinea Watermelon Stars
1/4 cup frozen Dulcinea Watermelon chunks
1/2 cup frozen strawberry pieces
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tbsp. simple syrup* or sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash liquid hot sauce (optional)
2/3 cup chilled tequila or Safeway Club Soda
6 tbsp. chilled orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or Triple Sec) or orange juice

*To make simple syrup combine equal parts water and sugar stirred over heat and brought to a boil, then cooled to room temperature.Steps (Watermelon Margaritas)  

In a food processor combine watermelon, strawberries, 2 tbsp. lime juice, orange juice concentrate, simple syrup, salt, and hot sauce. Whirl until mixture forms a smooth slush. (To make ahead and store up to 2 weeks, scoop slush into a resealable freezer bag and seal. When ready to use, let stand at room temperature to soften.)

In a small bowl, mix together tequila, remaining 6 tbsp. lime juice, and the orange liqueur; keep cold.

Into each chilled margarita glass (at least 3/4-cup size) mound about 1/4 of the watermelon-strawberry slush. In each glass, pour 1/4 tequila mixture over the slush.

Garnish each glass with a watermelon star on a skewer. Dip star in drink to muddle between sips.

4  Servings