Puffed Montpelier Crackers Recipes

PUFFED MONTPELIER CRACKERS

Steps:

• Allow at least two whole crackers per person. Split each cracker in half.
• Put ice cubes into a large bowl of cold water. When the water is very cold, put in the split cracker halves. Have ready some clean damask napkins, the kind that are getting a few thin places in them. At the end of three minutes - or sooner, if they seem to be getting too soft - remove the crackers from the ice water. A pancake turner with holes in it is best for this. If the crackers stay in too long, they will fall to pieces; if not long enough, they will not puff.
• When they have drained for about five minutes, put them into iron dripping pans and dot them thickly with soft butter. Dust them with paprika, if you wish. Heat the oven to 450 to 500 degrees and bake them until they are puffed, crisp, and golden brown. They should be done in 25 to 35 minutes.
• It is hard to get on too much butter. Always allow at least an hour for the whole process, as nothing is less attractive than a puffed cracker that has changed its mind and decided to be a wet blotter. It should show no symptoms of ever having been near the water. If you didn't put on enough butter the first time, add some more halfway through the baking. There is no use making them if you are not going to be reckless with butter.

ALMOST FRENCH PASTRY (CRACKER DESSERT)

Steps:

• Line an ungreased 9x13 pan with the unsalted soda crackers.
• Mix together the pudding mixes with the 4 cups of milk. (You don't need to wait for the pudding to 'set' before you use it).
• Spread 1/3 of the pudding on top of the crackers.
• Then top with 1/3 Cool Whip topping.
• Top with a layer of the crackers, then repeat the layering of pudding, and cool whip.
• Repeat the layering once more. (You should have 3 layers of each).
• Refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.
• Serve with pie filling spooned over each slice or use the fresh-fruit mix:
• Fresh Fruit Mix: Place water, fruit, and sugar/cornstarch mixture into a sauce pan.
• Heat til thickened.
• Cool completely, and serve with your Almost French Pastry.

HOMEMADE GARLICKY CHEESE CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Place flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and dill in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine or you can mix manually as well. Add 4 tablespoons melted butter and vegetable oil and pulse to combine.
• With food processor on low speed, slowly drizzle in water until the dough begins to form a ball. Remove dough from food processor and cover with a plastic wrap. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll out dough as thin as possible on a lightly floured surface; thinner than pie crust if possible, thin like crepes works best. Cut the dough into your desired shapes with a cookie cutter, or cut with a knife or pizza cutter and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Let it rest for another 10 minutes.
• Using a toothpick, prick several holes in each cracker. Don't skip this step; you will not have nice, flat crackers if you skip.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush the tops with remaining melted butter, and immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Remove from baking sheets and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
• While crackers cool, prepare cheese topping: Mix mascarpone, Cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses with parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Sprinkle over crackers and serve.

FLAKY PARMESAN CRACKERS

Steps:

• Combine flour, Parmesan cheese, butter, salt, and mustard for dough in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until mixture is well combined and resembles bread crumbs. Pour 1/2 of the cream in slowly, with the processor running, until combined. Continue adding remaining cream, a little at a time, until dough has come together in clumps and feels like a damp, but not sticky, slightly over-processed pastry dough.
• Gather dough into a ball, then roll into a log. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes or longer.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Cut dough into quarters, then cut each quarter into 8 pieces. Lightly flour each piece as needed and feed through one of the thinnest settings of a pasta roller to make irregularly shaped, oblong crackers that are about 1/16 inch thick, 2 inches wide, and 8 inches long. Alternatively, use a rolling pin to roll dough out on a lightly floured countertop, and cut into any shape you wish.
• Working in batches, lay crackers on a baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Bake each batch in the preheated oven until crackers are browned at the edges, golden in the middle, and fully cooked through, 8 to 9 minutes. They will crisp as they cool.

CRACKER JACK - COPYCAT

Steps:

• Mix popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl or roasting pan. Keep warm in a 250°F oven.
• Melt butter in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir in sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla.
• Quickly pour over warm popcorn while tossing until well coated. Spread in a shallow baking pan or roasting pan.
• Bake at 250°F for 45 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes. Make sure every piece of popcorn has been moved around on the bottom.
• Remove from oven and turn out onto foil to let cool.
• Store in a tightly covered container.