by Joan Saunders | photos by Kathryn Alvarez Photography –
When I was growing up and my parents had parties, I thought the food was so glamorous. There would be small squares of cheddar cheese and ham, along with chunks of pineapple and maraschino cherries threaded onto skewers and, always, there was a cheese ball surrounded by crackers. So exotic.
And, really, you can’t go wrong with a cheese ball, even today, especially when amped up a bit with a few revised ingredients. People still love them and, if you throw in homemade crackers to serve with it, you’re sure to impress whoever shows up for a glass of wine and some appies.
I have to admit that when I first made these crackers, I was surprised. I didn’t think they would be worth the effort, but they definitely are. What I love about this recipe is that you can throw in whatever leftover dried fruit and nuts you have, so each time you make them the flavours will be a bit different. What’s essential in the process is freezing the baked loaf, so that it can be easily sliced into very thin crackers.
So whether you’re having a quiet autumn evening with a few friends or inviting a crowd over for Thanksgiving or Halloween, they’ll be delighted to see that what’s old can definitely be made new again and, yes, made very tasty indeed.
Fruity & Nutty Crackers (makes about 45-50)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup dried fruit of your choice, chopped (apricots, dates, figs, raisins, cherries, currants, cranberries etc.)
3/4 cup nuts or seeds of your choice, chopped (pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc.)
3 1/2 tsp orange or lemon zest
1 cup milk (of your choice)
1/4 cup honey
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter then line either one long pan (I use one that’s 12 x 4 inches) or two mini loaf pans (5 ½ x 3 ¼ inches) with parchment paper.
Add both flours, baking soda, salt, herbs, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, dried fruit, nuts, zest to large mixing bowl. Mix well.
Stir in milk, honey. Ensure batter is well combined.
Put batter in pan or divide between two pans. Bake for about 26-28 minutes for two small loaves, or 31-33 minutes for one long loaf, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool. Remove from pans. Wrap loaf (or loaves) tightly in plastic wrap; freeze at least four hours, or overnight. This is important: loaves need to be frozen to be sliced thin.
When loaves are frozen and you’re ready to finish the recipe, preheat oven to 300°.
Remove loaves from freezer; use serrated knife to slice into ⅛-inch-thick slices. Place slices on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 12 minutes, then flip each cracker over. Bake another 12 minutes. To check if done, crackers should be golden brown and feel dry to touch. They may look soft because of the dried fruit, but they will crisp up as they cool and dry. If they aren’t quite done, flip again; cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Store in airtight container. If crackers start to soften, throw them back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up.
I usually freeze the crackers in smaller amounts and thaw as needed.
Let’s Party Cheese Ball
1/4 cup goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup blue cheese, room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely chopped dates
2 tbsp finely chopped green onions, white and green parts
1/3 cup roasted, salted or unsalted pecans, chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
In a bowl, combine goat cheese, blue cheese, cream cheese, butter, hot sauce, salt. Use an electric beater on low speed until evenly combined. Add dates, scallions; mix on low speed until blended. Cover bowl; refrigerate about 15 minutes.
Put large sheet of plastic wrap on countertop, scrape cheese mixture into centre of wrap. Pulling the four corners together with one hand, twist cheese mixture into a ball with your other hand. Refrigerate until cheese mixture is firmer (about one hour).
Combine chopped pecans and parsley on plate. Unwrap cheese ball; roll in mixture until coated. Chill until ready to serve.
Let cheese ball sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving so it’s more spreadable.
