C – Sometimes thinking of what to make for a party can be tough.
Jim and I have been going at recipe ideas for our 4th of July party for weeks. The typical stuff comes to mind, burgers, salads and drinks … all coming up this week. But, what to do that’s interesting, yet still easy, for an appetizer.
We ran through a few ideas. One was making a soup. Soup for summer? In Sacramento? It’s over 100 degrees over here. A cold soup that was spicy was our idea. But, it seemed a bit boring.
After an insane amount of text messages over this soup idea it was getting nowhere.
I misread a text message and thought Jim had suggested making firecracker crackers. I had no idea what that meant or if it was such a thing. But, it sounded interesting.
Jim thought it was interesting, too. I’d never made crackers before and wanted to impress our guests with homemade items. I really loved the idea. I didn’t expect this recipe to be so easy. It can cater to any celebration I have.
This allowed me add spices and other things for any themed party. So, this time it’s firecracker crackers.
Spicy crackers that kind of pop with spice every time you take a bite. The secret to these crackers is the red pepper flakes. The more pepper flakes you have the spicier and more surprising it is when eating.
Firecracker crackers! They are tasty, crispy and flavorful crackers that are great with most any cheese. I really enjoyed eating them as an appetizer.
| 4th of July Week: Firecracker Crackers |
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- ½ Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- Small fennel fronds for decoration
- Red pepper flakes sprinkled on top
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons salt.
- Add the oil and water to the flour mixture. Stir until a soft. A sticky dough is formed. If a lot of loose flour remains in the bottom of the bowl and on the surface of the dough, add more water … a tablespoon at a time, until all the flour is incorporated.
- Divide the dough into two halves and set one half aside.
- Sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour and set the other half on top. Pat it into a thick square with your hands.
- Working from the center of the dough out, roll the dough into a rectangle roughly ⅛-inch or thinner. If the dough starts to shrink back as you roll it, let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.
- Mix all the ingredients for the topping in a small bowl.
- Brush the surface of the dough very lightly with water. Combine the seasoning in a small bowl and sprinkle half of them (roughly 1½ tablespoons) evenly over the surface of the dough.
- Cut the dough into desired shapes. Anything you like.
- Transfer crackers to baking sheet and prick with fork:
- Bake the crackers in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are browned. Thinner crackers will bake more quickly than thicker ones.
- Transfer the baked crackers to a wire rack to cool completely. The crackers will crisp up further as they cool. Store the crackers in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days. If you’re crackers are a little old and less-than-crispy, lay them on a baking sheet and put them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes to re-crisp.
- Serve.
- Enjoy!
I think our guests will be impressed with these homemade crackers.
Super easy. Really gives the party a custom quality.