Homemade Honey Graham Crackers

My little guy absolutely loves graham crackers. So, thank goodness I learned how to make them in culinary school this past year and now I'll NEVER buy them again. It's just too easy to make them and they are just too delicious! Seriously. Once you try these you will never go back. Now all I need is to whip up some homemade marshmallows and make the most divine homemade S'mores of all time! :)

FYI... you'll definitely need a kitchen scale for this recipe. Weighing your ingredients is definitely the best way to get accurate and consistent results when baking.

Recipe:

9.6 oz all purpose flour

2.1 oz pastry flour

1/2 t. (.1 oz) baking soda

1/2 t. (.1 oz) cinnamon

1/8 t. salt

8 oz unsalted butter, softened

2.4 oz granulated sugar

2.1 oz brown sugar

1.2 oz honey

2 t. vanilla extract

-Sift the flours, soda, cinnamon and salt together and set aside.

-Cream the butter, sugars, honey and vanilla together on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until fluffy. 

-Add the dry ingredients on low speed and mix just until combined. Do not mix after combined or you will develop the gluten too much and the crackers will end up being tough.

-Separate the dough in half. Roll each half between two pieces of parchment paper or Silpats into a rectangle the size of your cookie sheets and chill until firm.

-Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 12 minutes, remove from the oven and cut into squares. Return to oven and bake until golden brown.

-Let cool on pans and store crackers in airtight ziploc or container.

Layered Strawberry Shortcake

I've always been a sucker for strawberry shortcake. Who doesn't love the stuff? Honestly. It's just classic and delicious. And there's something about having berries in dessert that makes me feel a little less guilty. 

This recipe is adapted from a classic shortcake recipe. I modified it in order to make rounds instead of a square pan (rounds display more beautifully)and in order to produce thinner layers so you won't have to worry about trimming and cutting the layers. This recipe is perfect for that summer picnic you forgot about and need a quick, easy dessert for. Enjoy!

Recipe:

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup milk (2% or whole works best... none of that fat free stuff. :))

Sweetened whipped cream

Strawberries

Grease 2- 8in. round pans. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In medium bowl cream sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Combine dry ingredients separately (always sift dry ingredients as well).  Add dry ingredients alternately with milk beginning and ending with dry. 

Spread batter into rounds.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center clean. Cool in pans for a few minutes. Finish cooling on cooling rack.

When rounds are completely cooled assemble cake. Place one layer on serving plate. Spread half whipped cream over layer. Sprinkle strawberry pieces over cream. Place second cake layer on top. Spread the rest of the whipped cream onto the top. Sprinkle the rest of the strawberry pieces on the top. If you have lots of time you can get creative and make cool designs with the strawberries. 

Keep cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.