Make Your Own Oyster Crackers

Ingredients:

Oil for brushing the dough
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp cold butter, cut into bits
2/3 cup iced cold water
1/2 tsp salt or sea salt plus more for sprinkling

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add butter, and work with your hands until a crumbly dough forms. Slowly add 1/2 cup ice water and mix with a fork. Continue adding water 1 Tbs. at a time mixing until the dough forms a ball.

Divide dough in half. If dough is sticky, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes. With a rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/8 - 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into squares (or whatever shape you desire). Place on baking sheet, brush with oil, and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Store in an air tight container. Makes about 32 one inch square crackers, or 60-70 smaller crackers (depending on how you cut 'em).


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Cost Breakdown:

• 1 3/4 cups Flour = 20¢ - 28¢
• Oil = less than 2¢
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder = 5¢
• Butter = 75¢
• Salt = 5¢ 

Price per batch = $1.07 - $1.15
Price at the grocery store = $2.30-$4.20 

Store brand ingredients: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Soybean Oil With Thbq For Freshness, Salt, Yeast, Malted Barley Flour, Sodium Sulfite, Enzymes (Protease), Baking Soda. Allergy Warning: Contains Wheat And Soy. May Contain Traces Of Milk And Eggs.

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Homemade Tortillas

4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening (Crisco), or margarine, or lard
1 1/2 cups warm water


Preparation:

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients.

Add vegetable shortening. With a fork, cut through the shortening, mixing with the dry ingredients. (will be crumbly).

Add warm water, a little at a time, mixing as you go.  Your dough will be sticky.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for several minutes, until smooth.

Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll into balls and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Heat a skillet over medium-high.  Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough balls into thin, round tortilla shapes. Place the tortilla in the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, or until each side becomes a light golden brown.  Place in a warm oven or in between kitchen towels to keep warm.

If storing, allow tortillas to cool. Keep in a plastic bag or air tight container for up to a week. Or place in the freezer for up to three months.

Lemon Ginger Scones

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped into small pieces

Zest of 1 large lemon

2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.  Stir in the chopped crystallized ginger and lemon zest. Add the buttermilk to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. If you don't have buttermilk, use 2/3 cup milk with a Tablespoon vinegar. Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 11/2 inches thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream. 

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 8 scones.