Part of my ongoing search for the perfect cracker recipe… maybe the end of my search.

I’ve tried several cracker recipes and they are always fun and usually rewarding. This time, I began with the Norwegian flatbread recipe and then went off on my own. I just didn’t feel like following the recipe that closely and what I pulled out of the oven smelled amazing and tasted so good!!

These crackers are slightly sweet, like a homemade graham cracker. The recipe can be varied to your heart’s content. I’ll list all the things I mixed in and you can use your imagination to make up savory or sweet combinations of your own. The flours can probably be played with, too. They’re good plain, good with tart apple slices, and unbelievable with a slice of Cabot Reserve Vermont cheddar cheese. Wow.

Maren’s Everything Crackers
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shortening, melted
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour

Optional: Today I added sesame seeds, sliced almonds, flax seed, and ground cardamom. You might consider some of the following: cinnamon, orange zest, almond extract, diced dried fruit, rosemary, fennel, cumin, any herb, sea salt, black sesame seeds, diced thinly sliced onion, poppy seeds, garlic, sunflower seeds, walnut bits, etc. They might also taste good made with rye, barley, spelt, or another flour.

Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and set the rack in the top third of the oven. On a well-floured board, roll one third of the dough out very thin. Prick all over with a fork, then cut straight lines one way and diagonal lines the other way to make diamonds. (Cookie cutters can also be used.) Transfer to a jelly-roll pan (13×17 inches or 33×43 cm) that is covered with a silicone mat or that is dusted with corn meal.

Bake for about 14 minutes, until they start to brown. Baking time will vary, depending on how crispy or soft you want your crackers. Final count will depend on how you cut them, but this makes at least three pans full which should be about 5 dozen crackers.