Crackle Top Dough Recipes

Steps:

• To Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
• Nancy Caverly gave her grandmother's recipe for ginger molasses cookies a little makeover-reducing the butter and adding crystallized ginger for a spicy jolt.
• Beat butter and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and molasses. Mix well.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and ginger in another large bowl until well blended. Stir in crystallized ginger.
• Blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture a cup at a time, mixing well, until it is all incorporated. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375degreesF. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
• Place the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a shallow dish. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in the sugar. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies, in batches, until they crackle on top, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Per cookie: 79 calories; 1 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 0 g mono unsaturated fat); 9 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 106 mg sodium; 43 mg potassium
• 1 Carbohydrate Servings
• Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (other)

Steps:

• To make the crackle tops: Remove the butter from the refrigerator 10 minutes before you're ready to make the dough.
• After 10 minutes, cut the butter into small cubes and toss it and the brown sugar and salt into a food processor. Process until almost blended. Add the flour and pulse until the dough forms moist curds. Pulse in the vanilla.
• Scrape the dough onto a piece of parchment or wax paper and shape it into a disk. Cover with another piece of parchment or wax paper and roll the dough out so that it's about 1/16th inch thick. Slide the dough, still between the paper, onto a cutting board and freeze it for at least 2 hours. (The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months, in which case it should be wrapped airtight.)

Steps:

• Put the all-purpose flour, wheat flour, wheat germ, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and gently whisk until all the ingredients are incorporated and there are no visible lumps.
• Beat the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment at high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the brown sugar, crumbling it with your hands as you add it to remove any lumps, and mix on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the honey and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl using a rubber spatula halfway through mixing to ensure that the ingredients are combined.
• Add approximately half the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining flour. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the flour is fully incorporated.
• Empty the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently push it together. Form it into a flat disk 1 to 2 inches thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days.
• Once the dough has chilled, it can be rolled and used as directed (see Rolling Dough, page 10), or frozen in sheets (wrapped tightly with plastic wrap on a sheet pan or piece of cardboard) until needed or for up to 2 months.
• If baking immediately, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper or on a lightly floured flat surface. Lightly flour the top of the disk and begin rolling the dough. Lift and rotate the dough between each roll to prevent it from sticking. Repeat the process until the dough is between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.
• Using a paring knife, cut the dough into 2-inch squares and place them about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared pans.
• To coat, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and toss lightly with a fork. Sprinkle the dough with the sugar mixture.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through, until the cookies are a dark golden brown color. Remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool slightly on the pans, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
• Serve the cooled cookies immediately, or keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• Polish your look
• These graham crackers also taste great when coated in dark chocolate. Simply bake them without sugar and cinnamon on top, then follow the directions to dip the cookies from Chocolate Mint Cookies (page 63) or Dipping in Chocolate (page 17).

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• In a large bowl mix oil and 1 cup of sugar. Add egg, beat well. Stir in molasses, 2 cups flour, baking soda and spices. If necessary, add more flour to make a firm dough.
• Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll in 1/3 cup sugar. Place 3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until tops crack. Remove from baking sheet and cool on rack.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch pie pan.
• Crush saltine crackers either with your hands in a bowl or with a food processor. Add sugar and salt; mix. Mix in butter, followed by honey. Press crust into the prepared pie pan using a measuring cup.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and set, about 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and while crust is still fairly hot, use the measuring cup to re-form as crust will fall down while baking. Let cool before adding a filling of your choice.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir together until evenly incorporated. Pour mixture into a 9-inch round pie dish. Press evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the dish using a glass.
• Bake in the oven until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool before adding filling.