Here are a list of questions I think might be running through your head right now. Well… I like to flatter myself by thinking that these questions might be running through your head. It’s a self-involved delusion . I know you have better things to worry about. Also included here are the answer to before mentioned self-involved questions.
You might be thinking:
Seriously, Joy? Here we are in prime baking mode and you bring us crackers!? Crackers!?
Answer: Yes. Crackers. Big, thick and crispy, salty and satisfying crackers. They have sea salt, people… they must be fancy.
Joy, what are you wearing to your holiday party tonight?
Answer: I. Don’t. Know. Please send help. Please send a new outfit. Please get these crackers out of my face so I stop stress eating them. Please.
Joy, calm down. Why not just wear your nice pair of jeans?
Answer: What? I can do that? I can seriously do that? I’ll can wear my nice pair of jeans even though they’re still jeans? I suspect you’re just trying to make me feel better. I have to find a skirt and top combination that doesn’t make me look like too much of a lunatic hippie. Drats.
These crackers aren’t helping. Someone take these crackers away from me.
And send help… send a pretty black top with sparkles. Quickly. Thank you.
Let’s talk about these crackers, shall we? With poppy seeds and sea salt, these crackers are more like crunchy biscuits… like dog treats for people… like you’ll find yourself reaching for cracker after cracker, and that’s no joke.
The most lovely part about these crackers is that they come together in just about 10 minutes and bake up in 30 minutes. Try them. You might find your happy place.
Sea Salt and Poppy Seed Crackers
from The Complete Book of Cookies
makes 20 crackers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon butter, cold and cut into 6 small chunks
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
6 Tablespoons half and half
For topping the crackers:
sea salt
half and half
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter and, using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it is in tiny bits and dispersed throughout the flour mixture.
Stir in the poppy seeds.
Add the half and half and mix to make a stiff dough. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 8×10-inches. Cut into 20 squares.
Place the dough squares on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Brush sparingly with half and half and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp but still pale. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and store in an airtight container.
{ 66 comments… read them below or add one }
All I’m thinking is that those crackers look and sound INCREDIBLY delectable! :)
I have always wanted to make crackers!! These look amazing.
Like dog treats for people? You crack me up!
Hum, what’s half and half? Sounds like a great recipe but I’m stuck here!
Half and half is one part milk to one part cream!
This is a nice distraction from all the cookie recipes going on right now. I need some savory treats!
ps: I try to get away with wearing jeans to absolutely everything. I usually throw on some ridiculous dangly earrings and that does the trick of distracting people. Have fun at the party :)
Ditto on the dangly earrings. Earrings solve any fashion dilemma.
Do you think you could sub milk for the half and half?
Have you heard about the website renttherunway.com? You can rent cute runway dresses for a fraction of the cost! I think they prices start at $50. It’s a bit too late for your party tonight, but maybe the next one! (Good luck with the outfit!)
Oh these crackers in a little baggie with a cute ribbon in a basket with the rest of the homemade goodies sounds like a plan to me.
Anything brushed with half and half is okay in my book – these look good! Any particular cheese you would recommend to compliment them?
And as for the outfit dilemma, I am totally incapable of dressing myself and what I always do is have my sisters dress me. The clothes they own are always way cuter than mine and they actually know how to do crazy things like accessorize and properly apply eyeshadow. Sisters are the answer.
How long do they keep? I’d like to make some for stocking stuffers…
yum! my dad would LOVE these; he’s a huge cracker fan. i’ll have to give them a go when i’m home next week.
as for the jeans, if they’re dark you can TOTALLY get away with them for a holiday party! throw on a pretty top with some sparkle or silk and slip into some heels and voila!
You’re a good girl, wear the jeans and don’t panic. Also, mmmmmm, craaaaaaaaaaackers.
Oh yum! I recently bought some sea salt and cracked black pepper crackers. I swore I’d never eat crackers again without SEA SALT!
Definitely making these…when hubby isn’t home. He eats anything snacky by the buckets-full….in seconds. Seriously. I should be skinny…hee
I heart crackers! And yes… anything with sea salt can be posted at any time of the year ;)
They sound delicious, poppy seeds and sea salt seem to go good together. YUM!
delicious :) i tried! you should eat with cream cheese! yummy :)
I love homemade crackers. I made some flatbread a few weeks ago that was awesome.
http://whitneyinchicago.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/rosemaryflatbread/
I bet the poppyseeds crunch really well. YUM.
Jeans, heels, a fun top, big lipstick (you can so wear BIG red)and a cute top and you’ll be the cutest girl in the room (but you will already be that). Thanks for the cracker recipe- nice respite from desserts today. Have fun and want want details tomorrow…..
LOVE the crackers! And yes, you can wear jeans. Absolutely!!
why don’t you wear one of your aprons over your nice jeans? i’m telling you, you could pull it off.
I think I will try my hand at making these. thanks!
Anything with a crunch = I’m in…can’t wait to make these!!!
and I was thinking, “How did Joy know my father wants me to make him crackers for Christmas?” Do you think I could get away with using honey instead of sugar, he is a stickler for no sugar. Good luck with your party outfit, I do have a cute black top but I am on the east coast!
thanks so much for this welcome gingerbread break!
took a pie baking class this past w/e & since i no longer feel intimated by rolling out dough…i am venturing to re -create this gem of a recipe asap!
& have fun @ your party…in whatever you decide to wear! :)
Joy- So easy and soooo tasty!! Thanks for a great, quick and easy recipe!
this look cute in a bottle…could be a nice present..
There have only been 2 cracker baking episodes for us, and this should be the 3rd.
Those look great. But I don’t know if we have to be worried about you – talking to yourself like that.. ;)
These are so cute! And you make it sound so easy!
I’ve never considered crackers. I didn’t even know a person could make them. They look fantastic!
Never once did I consider that one could just make crackers in their kitchen. It’s never even crossed my mind. They look tasty!
hope this doesn’t sound like a silly question … how do you measure a tablespoon of butter ?? Does it come ready measured… I am in another country and our butter just comes in packs of 250g & 500g. Is a tablespoon 15grams then?
Can I use something else instead of half and half?
And, by the way, wear jeans, I never want to wear anything else.
Lovely crackers!
I should really start baking savory cookies more often – these are wonderful, Joy!
Mmmmmmmmmm. So beautiful and delicious… I must try!!!
Thank you for another great recipe.
Cheers from Spain.
I made these last night to inlcude in my holiday swap gift and could have eaten the whole batch!! So yummy and so easy to whip up! Thanks Joy!
A holiday cracker recipe is just fine with me! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for as the last gift in my food gift baskets! Thanks!
Crunchy biscuits? Those sound wonderful! I’ve been eating too much sweet stuff lately. I need something salty!
I love the first photo! I am craving for some crackers now..
My husband is salt where I am sugar. If I get tapping, some of these may just end up in his Christmas stocking…
Mmm I love poppyseeds and have a big jar to use up. These look like the perfect work snack!
I am pretty confident that mine won’t look that cute, but they look yummy. I can’t wait to make them!
Can’t wait to make these! And you look lovely in those jeans/that skirt/whatever you ended up wearing. Yay homemade crackers. Dope.
I made these tonight sans poppyseeds. I’ll have to get some to try again, but they are fabulous without them, too!
GREAT recipe!!!
Wow.. homemade crackers? Why didn’t I think of that before? These look so yummy.
Hi Joy! Why not wearing dark jeans with some nice black top? It never fails. A pair of tall shoes and smokey eyes…and your best smile…..you will succeed!.
Delicious crackers, I never try this dough (salty)…..good weather to turn the oven on (snow…cold….). Merry Christmas for everybody!!!!!! .I love baking at Christmas time. Kissesssssss from Spain
they look fantastically crunchy!
Perfect with herbed goat cheese! Thanks, Joy.
You’re so not crazy. What better to treat the chocolate high than a crispy cracker with some homemade cheese?
Wow these look really good. I love salty crackers. I’ll definitely have to make these someday! Thanks for sharing.
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