rosemary cornmeal crackers
. . .
Question: why haven’t I been making crackers? Huh? Why have I wasted so much time eating crackers from a box when I could be eating crackers from my own oven? Redonkulous.
Another question: do you have any comprehension of how much time I would save in my weekly routine if I just stopped bathing? If I could just resist the temptation to bathe, put on makeup, and blow dry my hair? About 20 hours a month, people. That’s almost a whole friggin’ day each and every month dedicated to the approval of others.
I do not roll out of bed looking the way I do. Part elf, part small human. I have no natural colour. None at all. I am the whitest person you will ever know (on a number of levels). Without makeup, I look as though suffering from a terrible, terrible disease. Perhaps something transmitted elf to elf. So, should you have the great privilege of meeting me in person, you should assume that any and all colour on my face is fake. Completely and totally fake. That is one of the many reasons I must spend between 30 and 45 minutes a day bathing, putting on makeup, and blowdrying my hair. Almost a full day every month is devoted to smelling… well, not smelling like a ballet teacher. Almost a full day every month making my hair look less like rats have been sucking on it. I hope people appreciate it.
And what would I do with that extra day? That day per month wasted on primping? Oh boy. Lots of things. Lots and lots of things. And sure, I can’t think of a single thing right now, but lemme tell you, it would be major. Major like homemade crackers. Because it turns out crackers are super easy to make. Way easier than making yourself look undead. Make a dough, roll it out thin, bake. A monkey could do it. Of course, monkeys are kind of into grooming too, so I’m just assuming that they’d be willing to devote some of their gussying time to making crackers.
These crackers taste of rosemary and cornmeal. Thus the name. A lovely, savoury cracker. Roll them out thin, and you’ll get a crisp, crunchy treat to munch on. Also, 2.0 and I feel that you should know that these crackers are totally awesome when paired with chili. Like, totally, totally awesome.
So, consider going unbathed one day this week. Make crackers instead.
. . .
Rosemary Cornmeal Crackers – from Style at Home Magazine (Claire Stubbs) – with some notes from movita – print and bake
Yields about 4 dozen.
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut two pieces of parchment paper that will fit on two baking sheets, and set aside.* Place two baking sheets in the oven to heat (without the parchment paper).
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, rosemary, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the water and olive oil. Mix until a loose, wet dough is formed. Knead the dough gently on a lightly floured surface for 1-2 minutes.
Divide the dough in half and roll out each piece directly onto a piece of parchment paper until very thin. (I started rolling mine on the counter, and then transferred it to the parchment. I found it was easier to get started that way.) Cut the dough into desired shape (squares, triangles, rectangles) with a very sharp knife, being careful not to cut through the paper.
Working quickly, lift the parchment paper onto the preheated baking sheets and transfer to the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown.
* Make sure your brand of parchment paper can be used at 450°F. I lowered the temperature to 425°F, as it was the maximum temperature recommended for my brand of parchment.
Argh, now you’ve got me craving crackers. Seriously, they look addictive.
When 2.0 forgot to put some crackers beside his chili bowl the other night, he basically got teary.
I want to smother goat cheese all over these crackers. Incidentally, if we got a bunch of people to stop bathing, do you think that between us we’d have time to raise a goat? Because we could vertically integrate this thing and get serious with the cheese and crackers.
Honestly, I think it would only take two dirty people to raise a goat. Because I’m pretty sure that one clean person could do the job. The only thing is… goats can be a little mean. A goat tried to eat my mitten when I was in Grade 5. Tough stuff to get over. But, taking a goat’s cheese might make up for it.
I’d like to challenge you on who is whiter because I just so happen to have a complexion that is pasty pale transluscent.
And you are right about the homemade crackers. They really ARE better than the real thing!
My friends have long said that my skin is transparent. (I’ve also been accused of being bloodless.) But that’s WHY face colour was invented. You know, to make us look human…
These look so delicious! I’m bookmarking this! YUM.
These crackers sound delicious…we love anything and everything with rosemary in it!!! It seems a very straight-forward process… need to give it a try soon!!! 🙂
how should these be stored and for how long? (assuming there’s any left…) i’m assuming there’s some flexibility in whatever herb you want to use, like thyme which i always seem to have but never seem to use up.
I would store these crackers in an airtight container, and they’d last for several days. I’ve heard that homemade crackers can be stored for up to two weeks, but there’s no way we wouldn’t have gobbled them up before then! If it’s humid, and the crackers get a little soft, you could even pop them in the oven for a minute to re-crisp them before eating.
(I bet a thyme version of this would be so tasty!)
Redonkulous indeed. These look like little bites of tasty heaven. I’m sure I’d adore them. I really must leap aboard this snack bandwagon that appears be gaining speed.
oooh yum! i love rosemary and i love crackers! i eat an inordinate amount of them, so this recipe would be perfect to curb my grocery bill 🙂
I haven’t made crackers in a while, but it’s not like I’ve been busy gussying. I don’t even own a blow dryer.
I used to have a pet rat. He would nibble on the hair by my ear, and I think he made it look nicer when he was finished grooming me. I guess maybe you have a different breed of rats up there. They probably have a maple flag logo on them too, right?
Here in Canada, we train our rats for other things. Crime prevention, communications (like the Pony Express, but on a much smaller scale), and media arts. So, when they choose to help out with grooming, they are terribly under qualified, and things generally don’t work out. And they carry the flags. We don’t actually brand them. (Otherwise, we’d never get our mail.)
Movita White is my favourite Benjamin Moore colour. So much better than Cadaver Pale and Merely Morbid.
Thanks, Haddy. We, the translucent, appreciate your support.
these look delicious. Why is it that I can’t ‘like’ your posts, though? I mean, i like the post, but i can’t… ‘like’ the post?
also, lol, monkeys are into grooming too, but might be willing to take some of that grooming time to make crackers 😛
Well, I don’t know why you can’t like me. WordPress is probably trying to come between us. Maybe we’d be too powerful if we combined our forces?
Oh yum. Foodgasm. Also, I can appreciate your elvish plight. I, too was born pigmentless. We elves must stick together in our quest to apply equal amounts of sunscreen and bronzer.
I’ve basically kept the sunscreen/bronzer people in business for years. I should be allowed to go to shareholder meetings…
These look great! Homemade crackers are high up on my “to make” list.
I’ve never made homemade crackers. These look divine! And once again, your pictures are just lovely. Wonderful lighting, such clean fresh colors.
P.S. Are you going to join Tuesdays with Dorie for the “Baking with Julia” book? I just saw that they are starting that one in February and still accepting bloggers. Just wondering. I just signed up. 🙂
First off, you always make me feel better about my photos. You’re basically the wind beneath my wings.
Also, I’d love to do Tuesdays with Dorie, but this is my busy/weird/sucky season at work. I wouldn’t be reliable. But I’ll follow along. Because I love Dorie. Like, a lot.
Chinese New Year is around the corner (next monday). I’m going to bake this. Thank you so much for the lovely recipe 😛
ohmygosh you’re hilarious! =) I have wild hair and pale pale skin so I can relate to the need to primp in the morning — I wish I rolled out of bed looking beautiful like my friends and family members but I don’t have the luxury — so time I could be spending sleeping in or cooking is spent battling some bronzer and a hair iron =) lol
thanks for finding me on foodbuzz — LOVE your blog! and your writing style too!
Thank you, thank you! I’ve long thought a conveyer belt would be useful – a high tech machine that bathes you, styles your hair, puts on your makeup. Like the robots they’ve got at auto plants. Efficient – and we could read recipe books at the same time! Whadda ya think? Perfect, right?
These crackers look absolutely divine! I love making savory crackers – they taste so much better than store-bought ones (much like homemade cookies, i suppose.) I’ve never made a rosemary one…can’t wait to try them.
Thanks, Shannon. I’m basically obsessed with your blog right now, so crackers are the least I could give you in return…
…Looks like we have a little mutual admiration/obsession going on then, because i’ve been sifting through your posts all day. Your photos make me want to cook everything i run across.
YUM-O. Rosemary is so great. And I’m in love with your writing. You entertain me erry time.
And that’s why I loves you so much!
[…] then I made some crackers. Rosemary Cornmeal Crackers. Normally I would not think of baking something savory, but the idea of using my new access to […]
Movita! I made your rosemary crackers the other day and blogged about it, including several embarrassing details about how awesome I think you are. Just thought you should know!
I tried your recipe today and it came out great! Everyone loved it and asked me to make more. Thanks for sharing this simple yet yummy recipe.
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for stopping by to let me know…
[…] slightly adapted from Movita Beaucoup […]
Comments on this post are now closed as it was published in January 2012. Happy baking!