Seedy, in the best possible way

Sweet...


Salty...


Straight from the tin...


Look familiar? Readers in the Pacific Northwest may have come across boxes of Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps in the aisles of their local grocer. Word on the street is that they've been spotted as far east as NYC, but maybe that's just internet hearsay. As I suspected, these crunchy nibbles are nothing more than biscotti masquerading as crackers. If you haven't tried the original, I'd encourage you to skip right to the knock-off version and save yourself the $9+/box.

I've replicated the rosemary raisin pecan crisps here, but let your imagination (or Lesley Stowe's!) guide you.

Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crisps

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar and honey and stir a few strokes. Add the raisins, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseed and rosemary and stir just until blended.

Distribute the batter evenly between the 2 prepared loaf pans. Bake until golden and springy to the touch (about 45 minutes). Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the loaves into thin, even slices. (I found it easiest to flash freeze the loaves for a few hours before slicing.) Place the slices in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. Flip once and bake for another 10 minutes, until crisp and deep golden.

Yields about 8 dozen crisps (depending on your cutting abilities)!

Notes: Best stored in a tin at room temperature. Once-baked loaves can be wrapped in plastic and tinfoil and frozen for several months. When you're ready for your next batch of crisps, there's no need to thaw. Simply slice the frozen loaf and allow a few extra minutes in the oven.

Source: A recipe making the rounds in Vancouver, Canada.

Labels: ,