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Parmesan-Cornmeal Crackers and Mixed Fruit Butter, Post #600

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Parmesan-Cornmeal Crackers and Mixed Fruit Butter, Post #600

Description

Feel free to spice this butter however you like, to use your favorite sweetener and the combination of fruit you have on hand. Otherwise, pay no attention to the "recipe," just follow the technique. Bake only one sheet of crackers at a time. It goes reasonably quickly, but still it is a bit of a pro...

Cooking Time

Preparation Time :0 Min

Cook Time : 0 Min

Total Time : 0 Min

Ingredients

Serves :
  • mixed fruit butter:
  • parmesan-cornmeal crackers: 
  • five can since i began this blog almost years ago, i have strived to teach and entertain in equal parts. although i share recipes, i have a bit of a love-hate relationship with them, because i believe that they stifle creativity. on the other side of that, they also act as a template for how to make certain styles of food, especially if you focus less on the actual list of ingredients and more on the list of instructions.
  • one when i write a recipe to share with you, my goal is to show you how i made something on particular occasion. what i'm more interested in your taking away is the cooking and/or baking techniques that i use to make whatever-it-is i've made. that's why i hesitate to use the word "recipe," since most folks translate that into "set in stone."
  • mixed fruit butter
  • a few can take this fruit butter that i made days ago after getting all inspired by the pear butter with elderflower liqueur over at pook's pantry. fruit butter is nothing more than spiced and reduced fruit sauce. to make apple butter, start with apple sauce, spice it assertively and then cook it down slowly until it has reduced and caramelized. or, you do like i did and make one after the other: make the sauce first and without missing a beat, cook it down until it has thickened, caramelized and the flavors are concentrated.
  • a dozen it works best with harder fruits, i think---apples, pears, quince---although i tossed overripe figs into the mix as well, because they were lying around and needed something to do.
  • before i share the recipe (shudder), let me just share the steps with you. (technically, it's the same thing as the instructions part of a recipe, but somehow "sharing the steps" seems much more freeing).
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  • parmesan-cornmeal crackers
  • half white and half what better way to use some of my homemade fruit butter than on homemade crackers? this is only the second time i have made crackers. the first was for my friend nadine's most recent communion service at her church on october 6. i made those from a mixture of stone ground whole wheat flour, herbes de provence and fleur de sel. this time, i used the same base recipe (thanks, a sweet pea chef) and did some substitutions to make parmesan-cornmeal crackers. same basic recipe template; same procedure; different ingredients.
  • can i'm rather in love with the rusticity of these crackers. and i have such control over the final texture. rolling out as thinly as possible---think "read through them," here--results in a beautiful crispness that is ever so snackable. roll out almost as thinly as possible---think "i almost read through this,"---and you end up with a lovely, sturdy, crunchy cracker.
  • here are some rules for making crackers.
  • 7 oz all purpose flour (bread flour is fine here, too. you'll end up with a firmer, crunchier cracker)
  • 4 oz whole wheat flour (i used white whole wheat from king arthur)
  • 4 oz fine corn meal
  • 1.5 oz parmesan cheese (green can is fine here; no need to spring for the good stuff)
  • 1 tablespoon honey, optional but lovely
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

  • Wash and cut up your fruit--no need to pare or core
  • Sweeten and season as desired.
  • You probably won't need extra liquid, but if you want to add some, cider is a good bet. You can also add some alcohol if you'd like.
  • Cook until fruit is very soft.
  • Run through a food mill to remove seeds, skins and any whole spices and to give it an applesauce-y texture.
  • Continue to cook over low heat until it is as thick and caramelized as you like. Stir frequently. You can also do this last step in your Crock Pot.
  • Mixed Fruit Butter
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  • Author: onlinepastrychef
  • SummaryRate it!0050PrintAdjustPreparation TimePTNaNHNaNM
  • SummaryRate it!0050PrintAdjustCooking Time3 hoursPT3H0MTotal Time3 hoursPT3H0M
  • Total time: 3 hours 10 mins
  • 6 medium cooking apples, washed and cut up (core and pare only if you don't own a food mill. I used honey crisp, and...something else)
  • 2 Bartlett pears, washed and cut up (core and pare only if you don't own a food mill)
  • 12 plump figs, stems removed
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup brandy
  • 3 cinnamon sticks (or 1-2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon)
  • 3 star anise pods
  • 8 whole allspice berries (depending on how allspicey you like things)
  • 2 Tablespoons dried lemongrass (available at Mexican groceries)
  • 4 slices crystallized ginger
  • fine sea salt, to taste. Probably about 1/2 teaspoon or so
  • Place all ingredients in a large braiser or heavy Dutch oven.
  • If you don't have a food mill, put all the whole spices in a small cheesecloth bag or even in a coffee filter tied tightly. This will make it easier to fish out before pureeing.
  • Heat over medium heat until the fruit starts to release their juices and it all comes to a boil.
  • Put the lid on and simmer until the fruit is all very soft. You may have to stir every once in awhile to make sure all the fruit has a chance to be down in the boiling liquid.
  • Run everything--whole spices, peels and all--through a food mill fixed with the medium die. If you don't have a food mill, remove the spice bag and then puree with a stick blender or in batches in your blender. Be careful!
  • Return your puree to the pot and cook uncovered over medium low to low heat for an hour or two, until the mixture is very thick and has darkened somewhat in color. Stir frequently--every couple of minutes or so--and keep it at a very slow burble.
  • Cracker dough is an unleavened bread dough with about 50% hydration. That means you'll use twice as much flour (by weight) as you will water.
  • Season with abandon. Crackers are thin, make them count!
  • If you have a pasta maker, now is the time to whip that puppy out. It's really the only tool a home baker might own to make crackers of perfectly even thickness.
  • If you don't have a pasta maker, take plenty of time to roll as thinly and evenly as possible. They will always bounce back just a bit, even after resting, so I'm pretty sure there is no way to roll them too thinly.
  • If you are going to salt the tops of your crackers, don't do it until they are on the baking sheet. Even if you only let your crackers sit for a minute or two after salting, the salt will start to make your dough soggy, and you won't be able to get them off your counter. Trust me; I speak from bitter, if recent, experience.
  • several generous grinds of black pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (not sure of the weight on this--use a liquid measure)
  • 8 oz very warm water
  • Piment d'Esplette Grey Sea Salt (optional, for sprinkling. You can sprinkle with any flaky finishing salt, or you can forgo it altogether)
  • Add all the ingredients (except for the finishing salt) to your mixer fitted with the dough hook.
  • Mix on low until incorporated. You may have to scrape the bowl a couple of times to make sure there is no loose flour.
  • Knead on medium speed for about 4 minutes.
  • Stop the mixer and touch the dough. It should feel soft and somewhat tacky, but it shouldn't stick to your fingers. The dough will clear the sides of the mixer bowl, but there will still be some sticking in the bottom.
  • If the dough seems a bit too wet to you or is really sticky, add another 3-4 tablespoons of either the bread flour or the whole wheat flour, mixing for a minute or so before adding more.
  • Once the dough is no longer sticky (again, soft and tacky is fine), knead another 3-4 minutes on medium speed.
  • Cut the dough ball into six equal portions, round them well and set on a plate. Spray them all with some pan spray, cover and let rest for about thirty minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 450F. Line a half-sheet pan (jelly roll pan) with Silpat or parchment (I prefer Silpat here since we're baking at such a high temperature. They don't call it Fahrenheit 451 for nothin'!)
  • Spray your rolling surface with a light coat of pan spray.
  • Working with one ball of dough at a time, roll it out as thinly as you possibly can. If you have a pasta attachment, use it.
  • Once the dough is of an even thickness (super-thinness), prick all over with a fork.
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Jenni Field

Jenni Field

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