Graham crackers are an indispensable baking ingredient, often featuring cinnamon flavoring for their unique texture and wholesome taste. From S’mores to pie crusts, their versatility makes them indispensable.
At the heart of any successful graham cracker lies its flour. For optimal results, coarsely ground flour must be ground with other ingredients such as salt, leavening agents and fats.
Sweet
Graham crackers bring sweet flavor and crunch to a variety of recipes ranging from s’mores to cookie bars, making an impressive addition to any dessert buffet table. They’re easy to use too!
Sylvester Graham first invented these delicious whole wheat crackers in 1829 and they have become well known for their distinct nubby texture. Graham, a Presbyterian minister who believed bland food could help control one’s carnal desires, established these biscuits which quickly gained widespread appeal during Victorian times and remain popular today.
Modern graham crackers can be sweetened with sugar, corn syrup, molasses or honey; additionally they’re often made using baking soda, salt and butter – or for an added dose of spice add in ground cinnamon to spice things up!
Baking involves compounding and pressing dough into sheets. Once baked, these sheets are then rolled by metal gauging rollers to reduce thickness, before being cut into shapes by different cutters and sold. While you could simply purchase your graham crackers from stores, Bigger Bolder Baking provides easy homemade recipes which include step-by-step photos with explanations and replacement options for key ingredients as well as frequently asked questions and Pro Chef Tips for home use.
Savory
Peanut butter pairs perfectly with graham crackers to form an irresistibly addictive savory treat, and adding chocolate elevates it even further. Perfect for any charcuterie board and easily made in advance for quick snacking or entertaining purposes!
Grahams are one of the easiest cookies and crackers to make at home, using just four ingredients and minimal equipment. You can have delicious homemade grahams in no time at all – perfect for homemade gifts that allow you to control what goes in, without artificial flavors or preservatives found in store-bought versions!
Graham Crackers are flat, slightly sweet, grainy whole wheat-based cookies named for Sylvester Graham a 19th Century US Dietary Reformer who advocated the consumption of whole grains to improve health, encouraging his followers to use graham flour in cooking. Today graham crackers are widely used as dessert bases or to create S’mores!
Ingredients used to create a graham cracker recipe include granulated sugar, salt and ground cinnamon for sweetness; baking soda to provide lightness and texture; and unsalted butter (or shortening) that has been melted to provide texture. Once the dough has been formed it’s pounded or mixed until smooth before rolling into thin sheets for baking. Chilling your dough before rolling may give crispier crackers; home chefs may also use cookie cutters to shape their crackers into shapes that children will enjoy snacking on!
Chocolate Fondue
Chocolate fondue is an indulgent yet easy dessert to make at home. Everyone will enjoy dipping fresh fruit, cookies, cake slices and other tasty treats into the melting chocolate! Chocolate fondue makes an especially great way to commemorate special events like Valentine’s Day or birthdays!
The easiest and most commonly used recipe for chocolate fondue uses semisweet chocolate and heavy whipping cream. To get optimal results, it’s essential to use high-quality chocolate that has great flavor without too much added sugar, while adding too much water may cause seizing up or graininess of your fondue.
To create this dessert, start by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat and layering graham crackers in an even layer. Melt together butter and brown sugar until bubbly before pouring it evenly over your crackers and spreading out before popping it back in the oven until your crackers become light brown in color.
Once your graham crackers are baked and cooled, top them off with melted chocolate before serving your tasty treat with all your favorite dippers! For something extra fun, switch out vanilla extract for another flavor such as orange zest or cinnamon with cayenne. Or why not add a splash of rum, Bailey’s, Kahlua or Amaretto for a decadent fondue experience!
Yogurt & Granola
Granola made with graham crackers makes an irresistibly satisfying snack on its own, while adding sweet crunchiness and warmth to yogurt bowls. You can easily layer homemade granola onto vanilla or berry yogurts for additional texture and flavor, and also use up any leftover crackers! Plus this recipe makes an excellent way to use up those extra crackers you may have lying around!
This recipe for healthy and tasty granola is easy and straightforward, using whole wheat flour (which naturally is gluten-free) with minimal oil, and consisting of oats, brown sugar, honey and molasses as its ingredients. If desired, substitute maple syrup or agave nectar instead for vegan option!
Pair granola with fruit for a delicate flavor that’s not overly sweet or heavy, perfect for yogurt topping or adding into desserts such as chia pudding and chocolate mousse.
Sylvester Graham originally created graham crackers as bland food products; today they can often be sweetened with either honey or sugar for extra sweetness and additional spices and interesting flavors to elevate them as tasty treats. While his original vision may have been simple survival rations, today they are beloved treats!
