Fiddlehead Cream Soup

There is nothing like the waning days of winter to arouse the desire for spring. I feel like I have been trapped in my house foreva. Now is the time we should be checking the freezer and be sure all last summer's bounty has been consumed.

I have fiddleheads and must use them before the new crop arrives. This soup is adapted from one of my all time favourite cookbooks The Silver Palate Good Times.

Fiddlehead Cream Soup
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion
5 c. homemade chicken or mushroom stock
1 lb. fiddleheads
1 c. dry white wine
1 c. whole milk
1 c. cream
1/2 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste
piment d'esplet

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven and add onions. Cook gently over medium heat until soft and transparent. Add stock, wine and fiddleheads. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Cool slightly. Put in blender or food processor. Add milk, cream, nutmeg, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Pour back into the Dutch oven and gently heat until hot. Ladle into 6 or 8 soup bowls and garnish with piment d'esplet. Serve immediately.

Salmon Potato Pie

Last year I visited Osoyoos in British Columbia for the Slow Food Canada conference. Osoyoos is on the southern end of Okanagan Lake and just minutes from the U. S. border. It is also at the northern tip of the Sonoran Desert. Mental images of desert are a reality when you visit in the summer. The temperatures are high and rainfall low. The lake is rimmed with mountains and benches. I cannot imagine a more beautiful setting for vineyards and orchards.

It was at this conference that I learned about the Okanagan sockeye. Over the past century hydropower dams have been built downstream making it impossible for the salmon to return to the Lake. It has been so long since there have been salmon in the lake that someone like myself, not a local, didn't even realize they ever were there. Now a joint US/Canada effort of building fish ladders have allowed the salmon to come upstream and spawn. The levels of salmon in the lake now allow for sport and commercial fishing. You can read all about the return of the sockeye salmon in Canadian Geographic here.

I bought a can of this salmon to bring home. I have been saving it for a special occasion but I think I am a food hoarder. Today I am making it as a treat for myself.

As a child on the farm in Saskatchewan we always had hired hands. My father particularly liked the hardworking young men from a neighbouring farm. They had a large family and easily could allow one to work outside the home and they were good workers. We always had fish on Friday. Although we were not Catholic, they were and we made the meal to respect their beliefs. Tinned salmon made more than one appearance on our prairie dinner-time table.

Apparently this tradition of tinned salmon was also popular in New Brunswick. Browsing through the cookbook A Collage of Canadian Cooking, I found this recipe. Here is my traditional meatless Friday meal using my Okanagan sockeye salmon with a recipe from New Brunswick.

Pate aux Patates et au Saumon   (Salmon Potato Pie)

pastry for double pie shell
3 cups mashed potatoes (mashed with milk)  750 mL
1 can (419 g) salmon, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons butter                                          30 mL
2 tablespoons chopped onion                            30 mL
1 tablespoon each celery & carrot, chopped     15 mL
1/2 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay Style seasoning    2 mL
salt and pepper
milk to brush the crust

Line 9-inch pie plate with pastry.

Fold potatoes and flaked salmon together lightly.

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add onion and saute until tender, but not brown. Fold into potato-salmon mixture. Season with savory, salt and pepper.

Fill pastry-lined pie plate with potato mixture. Place top pastry over filling. Seal and crimp edges. Cut slashes in top.

Bake in preheated 425F oven 40-45 minutes until crust is golden.

This is my entry this month for The Canadian Food Experience. Click on this link after the 15th and you will see all the entries from across this grand country of ours.

Tourtiere - A Traditional Canadian Christmas

I was inspired to make this tourtiere by More Than Burnt Toast.  At the time I didn't have any pie plates but hers is made in a log form and can be cooked on a baking sheet.  I am invited for Christmas dinner and would like to take something with a Canadian flavour to share.  My friends, Scott and Jayson, have a tradition of making tourtiere every Christmas season.  This is typically served Christmas eve, especially in Quebec.  My homemade green tomato relish will go perfectly with this.

Since I moved to Swift Current I have had many requests for this Christmas treat. Who would have thought?

This can be served warm or at room temperature.  It also freezes well but I'm not sure if you would cook it first or freeze to cook later.  If anyone has done this, perhaps you could make a note in the comments on this posting.  Merci beaucoup!

I have combined a lot of the ideas I have seen in recipes.  I like the added flavour of cinnamon and cloves.  I also liked the way it is cooked in Jean Chretien's recipe.  His recipe cooks the meat for 1 1/2 hours.  This makes a nice fine filling without lumps.  I used my sour cream pastry recipe because it is so easy and tasty, too.  I have used pork and beef, but it can also be made with wild game ground meat.

Tourtiere

1 lb ground pork
3/4 lb ground beef
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t black pepper
1 t salt
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 c beef or chicken broth
2 T breadcrumbs

Put the stock in a large pan or pot and bring to a boil.  Add the pork, beef, onions, and seasonings.  Cook with the lid on until the meat is completely broken down and cooked, about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove the lid and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated.  Add bread crumbs one tablespoon at a time to soak up any oil.  Cool completely before filling the pastry.

Roll the pastry into a rectangle.  Put a strip of filling done the middle and fold the pastry over on the long sides and then fold up the ends.  Trim the excess pastry otherwise it may not fully cook.  Milk can be used to help 'glue' the seams so it doesn't fall apart.  Place on a baking sheet, seam side down.  Cut a few steam vents in the top and decorate with more pastry, if you wish.  Brush with milk.  Bake at 425F for about 20 minutes or until golden in colour.

Sour Cream Pastry

1 1/4 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 " cubes

3 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. chilled sour cream L

4 to 6 tbsp. ice water

In a bowl with your fingertips, a pastry blender or food processor, blend together flour, butter, and salt until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small lumps, roughly the size of peas. Add sour cream and blend just until incorporated. Drizzle 4 tablespoons  water over mixture and mix just until incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful. It should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add enough remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If you overwork or add too much water, pastry will be tough.

Turn mixture out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions if making pies or one piece if making a log. With heel of hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.

This is my contribution to the Canadian Food Experience this month.

The Canadian Food Experience - Local Food Heroes

The Canadian Food Experience Project is the brainchild of Valerie at A Canadian Foodie. This is the third edition of a yearlong project. I can see a cookbook in our future. This month we have 80 participants. I am blown away by the participation.

My Earliest Memory of Canadian Food
Regional Canadian Food - SW Saskatchewan 
These are the links to my previous challenges. My first memory...home made bread. Regional food...flat pie.

And the winner is.....

This month we are highlighting a local food hero. I live in Swift Current, SK. We are almost in the Middle of Nowhere. I say almost because if you drive an hour south you are really in the middle of nowhere. We are 5 hours to Calgary, 3 hours to Saskatoon or 2.5 hours to Regina. South, we are 5 hours to Great Falls, Montana which only has a population of 58,000. In fact there isn't a city in Montana with more than 104,000 people.

One would imagine that our choices for a local food hero might be limited. Not so.

I could talk about Farmer Bill. That is what I call him. Bill purchased an acreage formerly owned by Adolf Heyer. This is an exerpt from the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame.

"Adolph Heyer received international acclaim for his work in developing hardy tree fruits. Many of his selections are still being grown on the Prairies. He was born in Lunner, Norway, in 1875 and moved to the United States in 1904. In 1905, he took out a homestead near Neville, Saskatchewan.
Distressed by the lack of trees in the area, he first tried unsuccessfully to transplant young trees from nearby coulees. He obtained his first seedling spruce from Woodstock, Ontario, in 1913 and they thrived. He became so enthused with spruce that by 1918 he had thousands of them. He also planted acres of peonies. These provided a splash of color on what was formerly open prairie."

Bill has continued in Adolf's steps and has a completely organic farm with a multitude of herbs, berries, vegetables, Adolf's apple trees and chickens, turkeys and laying hens.

Or I could introduce you to Val and Bob Newland who raise Black Welsh and other heritage breeds of sheep, practice ethical farming and honour the animal until the end.

I could introduce you to Ron DePauw. He has been the principal wheat breeder at the Semiarid Prairie Research Centre near Swift Current, SK. This is an excerpt from The University of Saskatchewan when he was awarded an Honourary Doctor of Science in 2012.

"Dr. DePauw, a Saskatchewan native, is an outstanding citizen of the province, of Canada and the world. His contributions to the wheat industry of Canada are unparalleled. He has developed over 50 varieties for several classes of spring wheat for Canada. Because of the demanding requirements for quality in Canadian wheats, this is one of the most difficult crops to breed. His varieties have been extremely well received by prairie farmers, typically occupying more than 50 per cent of the seeded acreage. The incremental value of these contributions is estimated to be well over one billion dollars."

My choice for a local food hero are the Peterson's at Tompkins, SK that is less than an hour down the road. They were growing red fife years before it was on the list to sell. Only grains registered could be sold. They held their red fife in granaries for 5 years but were determined that it should be available. Chef Michael Smith buys their red fife flour for his hamburger buns at his Great Canadian Grill at Queen's University, Kingston, ON.















This is a delicious rustic pie using red fife flour.

 

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  Tarte Tatin

This French classic is much easier than making traditional pastry. Take it from stovetop to table.

5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced

rind and juice of one lemon

1/2 c. sugar 125 mL

1 c. sugar 250 mL

6 tbsp. butter 90 mL

1/2 tsp. cinnamon 3 mL

1 tbsp. cognac or brandy, optional 15 mL

whipped cream, ice cream and sliced almonds as accompaniments

Mix apples with lemon and 1/2 c. (125 mL) sugar. Let sit for 20 minutes. Drain liquid.

Preheat oven to 425F (230C)

Heat 1 c. (250 mL) sugar and butter in a cast iron skillet until brown and medium caramel in colour.  Remove from heat and add the drained apple to the caramel.  Cook at medium high heat for about 10 minutes, basting with juices. Cover and cook another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Roll pastry into a circle.  Place crust on top, tucking in the sides. Cut slits to let steam out.

Cook 20 -30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.   Let cool about an hour before serving with whipped cream or ice cream and sliced almonds.

Crust

3/4 c. all purpose flour 190 mL

1/3 c. red fife flour 80 mL

1/2 tsp. salt 3 mL

1 tbsp. sugar 15 mL

1/2 c. cold butter, cut into small pieces 125 mL

2 tbsp. frozen lard, cut into small pieces 30 mL

1/4 c. cold water 60 mL

Add dry ingredients to food processor and pulse to blend.  Add butter and lard and pulse a few times until it is still a little chunky but not as fine as cornmeal.  Gradually add water while pulsing just until the dough comes together. Remove to a floured counter top and gently knead 1 or 2 times. Form into a flattened disk and chill for an hour. Then roll into a circle and top the apples.

Makes 8 servings.

Maple Mousse in a Lacy Sugar Cup

I made these sugar cups a few years ago with a group of ladies from my office.  I have no idea where I found the recipe but it is different.  It is not a tuile.  It is not cookie like at all.  It is definitely a sugar cup.  They cook very quickly and can burn very easily.  But they make a lovely presentation and are worth the effort.

The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

This maple mousse is to die for.  I was eating it by the spoonful.

Maple Mousse

• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup (not maple-flavoured syrup)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 package unflavoured gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream (35% fat content)

1. Bring maple syrup to a boil then remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and pour a little bit of the maple syrup in while whisking (this is to temper your egg yolks so they don’t curdle).
3. Add warmed egg yolks to hot maple syrup until well mixed.
4. Measure 1/4 cup of whipping cream in a bowl and sprinkle it with the gelatin. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Place the bowl in a microwave for 45 seconds (microwave for 10 seconds at a time and check it in between) or place the bowl in a pan of barely simmering water, stir to ensure the gelatin has completely dissolved.
5. Whisk the gelatin/whipping cream mixture into the maple syrup mixture and set aside.
6. Whisk occasionally for approximately an hour or until the mixture has the consistency of an unbeaten raw egg white.
7. Whip the remaining cream. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the maple syrup mixture. Fold in the remaining cream and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Sugar Cups

6 T flour
1/4 c unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c lightly packed golden brown sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup
1/2 c slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 400F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set 2 small glasses or small ramekins inverted on the counter.
Stir first 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Add in almonds.
Cook 2 cookies at a time. Drop one large tablespoon of batter for each cookie and space about 6 inches apart. Use moistened fingertips and press each to a 2 inch round (make sure the edges are just as thick as the centres). Bake until deep golden colour - about 5 minutes. Cookies will spread to 5 inch diameter. Let cool by sliding parchment paper with cookies onto countertop and put cookie sheet in refrigerator to cool.
After about 1 minute, drape the cookies over the cup and gently press into shape. Cool. Repeat with remainder of batter.



I have garnished it with typically Canadian berries - saskatoon berries and haskap berries.

Haskap Jam

Okay, so I have been holding out on you.  I made this last July but I was not sure if this post would be interesting.  Especially since most of you will have no access to haskaps aka  Blue Honeysuckle.  Haskaps are relatively new to the Canadian prairies and are very well suited to our climate.  This is also known as the edible Blue Honeysuckle.  The season is early,  June to be exact.  I had never heard of this berry until I started visiting my favourite U-Pick, Treasure Valley Markets near Cadillac, Saskatchewan.

These berries are originally from Russia.  The University of Saskatchewan is studying the adaptability of this berry to our area.  The soil conditions and climate are ideal.

And yes, in Cadillac, the streets are named after models of cars!  Isn't that wild!

Linda of Treasure Valley Markets gave me a bag of frozen haskaps and challenged me to come up with a few recipes.  I had great success.  I made four different recipes and quickly went back for more.

But I have now been adapting my first tries and starting over.  I made haskap jam without pectin.  Last time I made a tiny batch and used liquid pectin.  It seems that haskaps have a lot of natural pectin and I had no problem getting this jam to set up.  In fact, I think I boiled it a little too long and have a very firm jam.  Remember the recipe for jams and jellies?  Fruit, sugar, pectin and acid.  I have not tried this without lemon juice, but there may be enough acid in the haskaps to make a good jam.

This jam is so intensely flavoured that a little goes a long way.  In fact, I prefer to use it in a recipe rather than on toast.

Haskap Jam

2 cups frozen haskaps
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Mix the haskaps with the sugar and bring to a boil.  Add the lemon juice.  Continue to boil until it has reached the jam stage.  Skim off any scum that forms.  Test your jam on a plate that has been chilled in the freezer.  Put a half teaspoon of jam on the cold plate and let it cool down for awhile.  If the mixture does not run when you tip the plate, it is thick enough.

So I know that you are scratching your collective heads and thinking, what the heck is a haskap?  What does it taste like?  They are an odd shaped berry and look almost like a lima bean.  They are very tart and must have sugar added.  But once cooked and sweetened, my gosh, they are the most flavourful and amazing berry I have ever tasted.  The common descriptor is to say they are a raspberry, blackberry, saskatoon and blueberry rolled into one.  In my sense of taste, they are a very intense raspberry/blackberry.  I would use it like I would use a raspberry.

Saskatoon Berry Tarte

Saskatoon berries are unique to western Canada and northwestern United States and are a personal favourite.  I went to a U-Pick this week and brought home a gallon of fresh berries.  If you are not familiar with saskatoons, they are similar to a blueberry but with more fibre.  Usually they are made into pies or crisps or canned as fruit in a water bath to have during the winter.  I am trying them in a few new recipes.

I also found a saskatoon U-Pick in France!  They have a very interesting farm, Ferme Moonriver.
This tarte would be a hit in France and was a regular at Eiffel Tower bakery when it was open in Calgary.

Saskatoon Berry Tarte

For the pâte sablée crust:
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 9 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 cup ground almonds
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
- 2 1/2 cups Saskatoon berries, fresh or frozen

- 1/4 cup almond meal (almonds ground to a fine powder)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup whipping cream or double cream

Preheat the oven to 360°F and lightly grease a shallow 11-inch tart pan, preferably one with a removable bottom.
Place the sugar, flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times. Add in the butter and mix briefly, just until the dough forms coarse crumbs. The mixture will not come together into a ball and will remain crumb-like, but it should clump if you pinch it with your fingers.

Pour the mixture into the tart pan and spread it evenly to cover the surface of the pan. Pat it down to pack it gently, creating a low rim all around. Don't worry too much about the shape or evenness of it; it's more important not to overwork the dough. Put in the oven to blind-bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set and very lightly golden around the edges.

In the meantime, toss the berries (no need to thaw if frozen) with the sugar and the powdered almonds. Remove the pan from the oven, pour in the berry mixture evenly in the crust shell, leaving a small margin all around, and return to the oven for 15 minutes (18 minutes if the berries were frozen).
Remove the pan from the oven. Whisk the egg and cream together in a small bowl and pour evenly over the berries. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Transfer to a rack and let cool completely before serving.

Saskatoon Berry Clafouti

I have never made a clafouti and have been curious after seeing so many on Foodgawker and Tastespotting and reading the interesting recipes.  I have not seen one with saskatoons so I just made adaptations and came up with this.  It is an alternative to making a pie or a crisp which is what most people do with saskatoons.

I promise not to bore you to tears with saskatoon berries like I must have with rhubarb!  I just love to use local products and create new ways to cook with them.

Clafouti is a rustic, simple French dessert that's a cross between a pancake and a custard. Cherries are traditional but you can use other fruits successfully.  

Saskatoon Berry Clafouti

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups of saskatoon berries
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• Powdered sugar

Add milk and bring to the a simmer with the almond flour. Remove from heat; let steep 30 minutes. Pour through fine strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids in strainer.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Scatter saskatoons evenly over bottom of dish.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs, almond extract, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Add strained almond milk and beat to blend. Sift flour into egg mixture and beat until smooth. Pour mixture over saskatoons. Bake until set and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Lightly dust clafouti with powdered sugar and serve. 

Win this Basket of Canadian Foodie Goodies

I was the lucky winner of a food basket from Velva at Tomatoes on the Vine in Florida.  The only stipulation was that I also offer one from my country of origin.  It has been fun to find a few things that are not your stereotypical Canadiana.  There is more to Canadian cuisine than maple sugar!

So if you are interested in winning this lovely basket, please leave a comment on this post telling me how much you would enjoy receiving it!  Also, you must commit to offering such a basket from your locale within the next 6 months.  I just thought of one more (optional) requirement - share your creative uses of these ingredients with us!  I would love to see how you use them.

I will be using www.random.org to select the winner.  Each reply will be given a number and the lucky number will receive this gift.  The contest will close on Saturday.  Anyone who is reading, please feel free to pass this on to your other favourite bloggers so they can also enter the draw.


This is the booty:

La Carminee du Terroir  Quintessence de pommes

    This is a reduction made entirely of fresh apples.  It has been reduced to a balsamic type reduction and is heavenly.  I have added it to fresh strawberries and also with braised beef short ribs.  It adds a certain complexity to your food.  I think it would be great with an aged cheddar.


Huile de Homard du Canada.  This is a lobster infused oil from the Marche Transatlantique.  This unique and aromatic oil would be lovely drizzled on a seafood pasta, a lobster bisque or any other savoury seafood dish you might be making.

Wild rice from Manitoba.  This is actually a grass rather than a rice but it is so wonderful.  This is one of my favourites.  I usually make a pilaf mixed with a long grain white rice and a mirepoix.  It also makes a wonderful salad.  I think I might make a gratin in the near future and post that on my blog.

Smoked arctic char from Nunuvut.  Also from Nunuvut is an ulu.  Both of these items are courtesy of my sister who is living in Chesterfield Inlet at the moment.  I am so lucky to have such a great sister!  She has offered these two items to add to my basket.  An ulu is a traditional Inuit knive similar to a mezzaluna.  It has a half moon shape and a single handle to have the best leverage possible.  It would be traditionally have many uses in the culture but I think it would be great as a pizza cutter or to chop veggies in our kitchens.  The Arctic char is a fish akin to salmon and this smoked version would be wonderful with cream cheese, diced red onions, lemon wedges and crackers.  You could make it into a wonderful dip or toss with pasta.

Last but not least is a traditional prairie Canadian treat - Saskatoon berry syrup.  Saskatoon berries are only found in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  We usually have them in pies but also use them in syrups and jams.

There is More to Canadian Cooking than Maple Sugar

I am the lucky recipient of a food basket of Floridian food that will be arriving any day.    Part of the requirements in receiving this gift is to provide a draw of my home country’s foods.  This is the impetus for my curiosity.

This is a nice Quebec cheese with the Apple Quintessence for dipping.

Tonight I made a simple dinner of Arctic char, wild rice and mashed turnips with butter.  You can’t get any more Canadian than that!  I also bought a few interesting ingredients – Cedar jelly and an apple reduction similar to a very good balsamic glaze.  All are Canadian.  So, you can look forward to some of these wonderful Canadian ingredients as I plan my contest.  I am waiting for one special item and when that arrives, I can post the prize package.

Here are some more pictures of my little hamlet in Saskatchewan.  A hamlet is smaller than a village!  These are some street signs.

The Daring Bakers January 2010 Challenge

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

I just made a triple batch of Nanaimo Bars in December for my new friends in Tennessee.  I gave away my leftover icing sugar and coconut because I am trying not to make any more 'fat food' for awhile!  So this challenge is a challenge for me!  I have decided that I would love to make the graham crackers from scratch.  I have always wanted to try them.  They will be good for S'Mores as well.  But that is all I will do this month.  Crackers only and no more Nanaimo Bars.  This is not the gluten free version.

Look at the amount of vanilla in this recipe!  So that tells me you better use a very good quality.  It is a dominant flavour.  And the cinnamon sprinkle is really important, so use a really fresh and good quality cinnamon.  I used sorghum rather than honey, because that is what I had on hand.  Sorghum is a type of mild molasses more common in the southern USA and it was just fine.   Chilling them well before baking is really important.  It prevents them from spreading during baking.  I also cool down the pan before baking the next batch.  (Or just use a second pan.)  Be really careful not to overcook.    And OH MY GOSH, they are so-o-o good!  You could just have them with coffee.

Graham Crackers

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey, such as clover
5 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.  (Oops!  I forgot to add the 2T flour.  I used unbleached all purpose.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

To prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.

Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.   ( I made mine 2" x 3" for single wafers)

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350F.

Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more flour and roll out the dough to get a few more crackers.

Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough. Using a toothpick or skewer, prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.   (I marked them before chilling.  Just seemed to be a more logical sequence.)

Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

Yield: 10 large crackers  ( I made 42 - 2" x 3" crackers.)

From Nancy Silverton's Pastries from the La Brea Bakery (Villard, 2000)