Homemade graham crackers

homemade graham crackers

from girl who bakes (pretty seriously modified from martha's recipe)

yields approximately 30

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. whisk flours, salt, baking soda, and spices in a medium bowl, set aside.

2. in the bowl of stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and honey. add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

3. using your hands, shape dough into a smooth-ish ball, and place between two sheets of floured parchment. roll out to about 1/8 inch thick. (note: mine are obviously thicker and i sort of like them like that, it's this cracker-shortbread-biscuit hybrid, but you can choose your own adventure with this one.)

4. cut out desired shapes and place on another sheet of parchment. chill in freezer until firm, about 20 minutes.

5. remove dough from freezer and pierce crackers using a fork. transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment and bake, rotating halfway through, until dark golden brown (8-9 minutes, depending on thickness). let cool on wire racks.

nutritional information*

calories: 63, fat: 2.9g, cholesterol: 8mg, sodium: 41mg, carbs: 8.3g, sugars: 3.27g, protein: 0.64g

*this information is totally dependent on how many you yield. if it helps, the total caloric amount for the entire batch is 1890 cals, which you then can divide by how many cookies you end up getting for a more accurate number.

Mamacita's Famous Taco Meat

1 lb. ground {buffalo, beef, elk}
1/8 c. dried onions
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 Tbs. *chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cumin
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. oregano *leaves (the Mexican kind is best)
Splash of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by browning the meat. If using buffalo or elk, put a little oil in the pan to help it not stick. Mom likes to sprinkle a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the meat while it's browning so it doesn't have the nasty ground meat smell. When it is about half browned, add the dried onions. Make sure as you brown the meat that you mince it into tiny pieces. When the meat is browned, add the garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Then add 1/4 c. of water, cover, and let the meat simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. Just before serving, uncover and let the water cook off.

Best enjoyed with La Victoria green taco sauce.

Frugal tip: To stretch the meat, you can add a grated raw potato. Just add it at the same time you add the dried onions (the pinky-brown stage).

*Mom prefers these spices (found at Sam's club). The brand of chili powder especially makes a big difference in flavor: