I’ve been on a bit of a binge lately, and have probably eaten my weight in hickory smoked almonds in the last month or two. My obsession shows no sign of stopping. This is actually good news for you, because it inspired me to use part of my stash to create very tasty crackers that pair beautifully with salmon dip. And Chardonnay.
I hate to appear wishy-washy by giving you a lot of options and alternatives, but some people will click out of a recipe if it says something scary like “roll the dough”. I get it – rolling dough can be messy and time consuming. I’m going to give you an alternative to that. Personally, I love rolling out dough. It may be the only exercise I have in a day!
First, the basic method:
To make flat crackers, the dough is rolled out and then cut into any shapes that float your boat. But you can also flip a mini-muffin pan over and drape circles of dough over the . . . bottom of the pan to create crunchy little cups.These are genius, because they hold more dip.
Whether you make flat crackers or cups, you’ll need to get the dough very thin – no more than 1/8-inch thick. Thinner is even better. Don’t worry, it’s easy dough to work with. The simplest way to make the flat crackers is by rolling the dough directly onto a baking sheet. You don’t need to separate the crackers – just cut them with a pastry (or pizza) cutter and bake.Or you can use cookie cutters for cute shapes, cutting them directly on the pan or by rolling your dough on a floured surface (removing the scraps for re-rolling).
From left to right – thick to thin. The thick cups were 1/8-inch, the ones on the right were probably 1/16-inch.
Once the crackers or cups are baked and the oven’s turned off, any crackers that aren’t completely hard (which would be those on the thicker side of the scale) get returned to the warm oven to dry out for 30-40 minutes. This ensures a crispy, crunchy, sturdy cracker that will store well.
For you rollingpinphobes, I had an idea that worked very well. Do you have a tortilla press? Love mine, and it wasn’t very expensive at all. Just plop a ball of dough between pieces of parchment and press down gently. Don’t press all the way or you’ll end up with a VERY thin piece of dough that will tear easily. I can cut three 2 1/2-inch circles at a time this way, and the thickness is consistent. 
When I first tried making these, I assumed that the salt content of the almonds and the cheese would be enough, so I didn’t add any salt. But crackers need to be salty in my opinion, and they just didn’t quite cut it, so I added a small amount of salt to the second batch and found them to be perfect. If you’re a real salt lover, sprinkle a little on the top of the crackers before baking.
No, I don’t get a kickback for this. I just love this stuff and want to share!
I used this Sweet Onion Sugar on one batch because I crave the whole sweet/salty/savory experience, and it was a big hit. My bottle was a gift from a friend, purchased from an amazing store in Montana called The Copper Moose . . . one of those places that could make a foodie run rampant, scooping up things they never even knew existed. Danger, danger, danger.
This recipe will yield approximately 4 dozen dip cups or 2-inch square crackers.
| Smoked Almond Crackers | Print |
- 1 cup hickory smoked almonds
- 1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup oil
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Heat oven to 425 F.
- For flat crackers you will need a large, flat baking sheet. For cracker cups, you will need a mini-muffin pan. If your muffin pan isn't non-stick, you will also need small paper liners.
- Chop the almonds very fine. To save time, you can us a blender or food processor, using short pulses to avoid turning it into paste.
- In a large bowl, combine almonds, cheese, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, and brown sugar. Mix well.
- Add oil, buttermilk, and Worcestershire sauce. Use a heavy spoon or your hand to thoroughly combine. You should be able to form the mixture into a ball with your hands.
- FOR FLAT CRACKERS: Roll directly onto ungreased baking sheet. Lightly flour rolling pin and the top of the dough and roll very thin, no more than ⅛-inch. Use a pastry (or pizza) cutter to cut into squares or diamonds. You don't need to separate them. Alternatively, you can use cookie cutters. Lift the scraps between the shapes and save for re-rolling. Sprinkle with salt if desired and bake 7 minutes, or until crackers are rich golden brown. Remove from oven and place baking sheet on rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Once all crackers are baked, check to see if crackers are dry and crunchy. If not, turn oven off and open the door for 30 seconds. Return crackers to warm oven for 30-40 minutes to dry out.
- FOR CRACKER CUPS: Turn mini-muffin pan upside down. Lightly grease non-stick pans, or cover each metal cup with a paper liner if your pan isn't non-stick. Roll out dough on floured surface, or press balls of dough between pieces of parchment in a tortilla press. Dough should be no thicker than ⅛-inch. Thinner is better! Cut circles that are 2½ inches and drape the dough circles over each cup, shaping gently. If any holes or tears appear, patch them with a pinch of dough. Bake 7 minutes, or until rich golden brown. Move pan to cooling rack and allow cups to cool for at least 5 minutes before lifting each one carefully from the pan. Remove paper liners if you're using them. Once all the cups are baked check to see if cups are dry and crunchy. If not, turn off oven and open door for 30 seconds. Place cups on a baking sheet and return to warm oven for 30-40 minutes to dry out.
Chop the almonds (no big pieces!) or use a blender or food processor.
For flat crackers, roll the dough right on the baking sheet. Cut with pastry or pizza cutter or cookie cutters.
For dip cups, loosely shape dough on the upside-down mini-muffin pan and bake.
There – I posted something that wasn’t sweet for a change. Now on to Mother’s day creations, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be pulling out all the stops.
Lorinda
Both options sound deliciuos!
Thank you, Tamara! We sure enjoyed them. Well, until I got to my fourth batch (got to get it just right, you know) . . . and then we’d had enough for a while! Thinking this is a good idea for the guys when they’re watching ball games.
Smoked almonds are among my favorite foods, so I am looking forward to making these crackers! Also, thank you sooooo much for the tip to press them thin with a tortilla press!! I’m going to try that!
Thank you, Mary Rose. You know me – my mind is whirling with other possible ways to use that press. Stay tuned!
There’s nothing better than homemade crackers. These sound delicious. I have pinned and shared. Homemade crackers make store bought taste like cardboard. Love this recipe Lorinda.
Thank you, Cydnee! I know – they’re so much better. I don’t know why I don’t make them more often; they’re sure easy.
I am liking the sound of these! Somehow baking crackers doesn’t make me feel as guilty as baking cookies! Pinning for me!
Thanks, Abbe – I agree. At least there’s a significant amount of protein in these! I’m going to try them with gluten free flour too . . . bet that’d work well for the gf folks out there.