Apricot & Pistachio Crisps

The. Best. Cracker. Ever. They are full of nuts, seeds and just a smigin of sweetness. Honestly, our family loves these so much I have to hide them in the freezer. The first time I made them, Jeff ate an entire tray with yogurt cheese from Slate River Dairy and honey. Anytime I serve these crackers, whether it is book club or a dinner party, I get requests for the recipe. I usually double the recipe and tuck away the other three loaves in the freezer or a special treat. If I were I a kinder person I think these would make a great gift paired with some homemade jam and local cheese. 

I first stumbled upon this recipe by Charmaine Christie in a copy of Bakers Journal but  you can also find it here or in her book The Messy Baker

Ingredients

2 cups BCF Partially Sifted Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two 8- x 4-inch or 9- x 5-inch loaf pans with non-stick spray, or grease liberally with butter and dust with flour.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dried apricots, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed and rosemary, and toss to coat evenly with the flour. Stir the brown sugar and honey into the buttermilk, making sure they dissolve. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool on a wire rack. The bread is easier to slice when cool, so bake it the next day or pop it in the freezer to cool it down. 

Preheat the heat to 300 F. Using a serrated knife, slice the loaves as thinly as you can. Aim for no thicker than 1/8th inch thick. Place the slices in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet and bake them for 15 minutes. Flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes or until they are crisp and deep golden brown. 

See more at: http://www.bakersjournal.com/snacks/bakers-formula-4930#sthash.7SKRlqKB.dpuf