There are some things that almost always make an appearance when you’re entertaining. Whether you’re barbecuing ribs or roasting a turkey, you’re probably going to be serving crackers and dip up as a snack for people to munch on while they mingle and wait for the main course to be served. Crackers end up being something that come out of a box for most of us, even if we’re making just about everything else from scratch. Now, there are some tasty crackers available at the store, but it is surprisingly easy to make your own crackers and dips for a party or just for snacking yourself and Crackers & Dips: More than 50 Handmade Snacks is full of recipes to get you started.
This cookbook features more than 30 different cracker recipes – for a total of over 50 recipes, including the dips – and is sure to have one for just about every occasion and taste. The cracker chapters are divided up into several categories that include classic crackers, globally-inspired crackers, quick crackers and even dessert crackers. A number of the recipes are wheat and gluten free, as well. There is a great variety of flavors in the crackers, from Soda Water Crackers to Irish Blue Cheese Shortbread to Smoked Almond Thins, so there is something for every occasion. The recipes are clearly written and easy to follow along with, but you’ll find a lot of information about cracker making in the introduction of the book. It includes a section on techniques for cracker baking that has some great tips, especially because you want to strive for thin, uniform crackers for the best results. It may take a little bit of practice before your crackers look as good as the store-bought ones, but they will still taste great even if a few take on rather unusual shapes as you master your cracker-making skills.
In addition to all of the crackers, the final chapter of the book is dedicated to dips. The dips are savory and cover a huge range of flavors, from dips with crab to vegan dips, from a spicy chutney to a bacon and caramelized onion jam. They can be paired with cracker recipes from the book or served up with store-bought crackers when you don’t have time to do everything from scratch. There are plenty of photos throughout the book, but for the most part the crackers and dips sound intriguing enough that their names alone will inspire you to give cracker making a try.
What do you think?