Graham Crackers

Ingredients

Makes 10 4 x 4.5-inch graham crackers or 48 2-inch squares

2 1/2 cups plus 2 T AP flours
(a swap of 1/2 cup with whole wheat flour or 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour works well here, too.)
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp course sea salt
7 T unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey (such as clover)
5 T milk
2 T vanilla extract

Topping

3 T granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Make the dough.

Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Pulse or mix on low to incorporate.

Add the butter and pulse on and off and on and off or mix on low until the mixture is the consistency of a course crumb.
(alternately, you can cut in butter with a pastry cutter)

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla.

Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together.

It will be very soft and sticky.

Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour.

Turn dough out onto plastic and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick.

Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping, if using, by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers.

Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator.

Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky. Flour as needed.

Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide.

Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers. (This makes a traditional graham cracker shape.)

Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping.

Chill until firm, about 30-45 minutes in the fridge or 15-20 minutes in the freezer.

Repeat with the second batch of dough.

Gather any scraps into a ball, chill until firm and re-roll.

Decorate the Crackers

Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough (for traditional cracker shape).

Using a toothpick or skewer (or blunt end of skewer for more dramatic dots), prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.

Bake for 15-25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.