A Homemade Snack

My quilt friends and I were looking for a snack we could make at home with stuff on hand, for a quilting afternoon or a retreat.  We found this recipe from Martha Stewart online and paired it with a dip we have been making for years.

We just have one suggestion.  Be sure to minimize the amount of time you spend mixing the crackers in the food processor; AND, after refrigerating the dough, slice the chips 1/8" thick.  These two maneuvers will make a more tender cracker.  Honestly, these are almost as good as Cheese-Its.

Martha’s Cheddar Crackers

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup finely grated (2 1/2 ounces) Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
Directions

Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, cayenne, and nutmeg in bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese, and pulse until combined. With machine running, add milk. Process until dough comes together and is well combined.
Transfer dough to a clean work surface. Shape dough into a 1 3/4-inch-wide log. Wrap with 2 layers plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 4 weeks.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice well-chilled log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake immediately, rotating sheet halfway through baking, until crackers are golden brown and firm in the center, 25 to 35 minutes. (Crackers should not get too dark around edges.) Transfer to a rack to cool. Crackers may be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Baked Dip

½ c. mayonnaise
½ c. sour cream
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped small
½ c. minced onion
1 T. lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan and onion together in a small bowl.  Stir in hearts, lemon juice and seasonings.  Taste to adjust flavor.  Pour into a small, shallow baking dish.  Bake 20 minutes until light brown on top.  Serve with Martha’s Cheddar Crackers.  You can make this a day ahead and bake it at the last minute.


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Quilt Retreat Recipes

When we get together on a quilt retreat*, there's nothing like a crock pot steaming away in the other room, cooking up something we can nosh whenever it's ready. Here's a recipe that travels well:

Kathie's Krockpot Kassoulet (an American version of French baked beans)

Serves 12

6 cans Navy or Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
water to cover beans in crock pot
4 large carrots, quartered lengthwise and sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 t. of each of the following dried herbs: basil, chervil, tarragon, thyme, rosemary
4 large whole cloves garlic, peeled
2 yellow onions, carmelized***
3 lean German sausages, quartered lengthwise and sliced
20 thin slices pepperoni
1/2 c. deli beef, chopped
salt to taste

1. Place beans in the crock pot and pour over them enough water to cover them. Add carrots, celery, herbs, garlic and about 1/3 of the German sausage. Set crock pot to high for 3 hours.

2. When beans are hot and veggies are tender, add all the remaining ingredients, except the onions, and heat through. Taste the broth for salt and adjust seasonings. More herbs will probably not be needed but a teaspoon of crushed fresh garlic might be desirable. Add the carmelized onions just before serving.

Serve with a green salad, fresh veggie relish tray and/or toasted tortillas**

*What IS a 'quilt retreat'?

A quilt retreat happens when 2 or more quilt friends decide to divorce themselves from the world for a few days; gather in a cozy cottage at least 50 miles from home and sew quilts together. We eat, sleep and live quilting......for a while. To find a quilt retreat facility near you, Google 'quilt retreat [your area or state]'.

**Toasted tortillas

12 flour tortillas
1 pkg. shredded Italian blend cheeses (romano, parmesan, etc.)
garlic granules or powder

Place 1 tortilla on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cheeses and garlic. Toast under the broiler until well-browned. Remove and cut with a pizza cutter into wedges. Continue to prepare and toast the tortillas until there is enough for each person to have 3 wedges each. Place the wedges in a napkin-lined basket and serve with soup or any main dish.

***Carmelized Onions

Place 2 roughly chopped onions in an electric frying pan with 3 T. butter on medium heat. Cook until they turn golden, turning them when they are golden. Remove when all the onions are a deep golden brown. Store in a ziplock bag until ready to use.