Homemade Graham Crackers/Cookies

I have no idea what to actually call these, since they’re not technically a cookie or a cracker.  (Although when I give them to Luke, I tell him it’s a cookie – oh, my poor kid. ;)

Whatever you decide to call them, hopefully they will please the toddler, grown man, or hungry family members who eat the toddler’s treats graham-cracker lover in your life.  They are simple, yet sweet and fluffy.  I can’t even fathom how amazing they would be made into smores this summer!  Mmmmmmm. 

 Me and my little helper.  Seriously, don’t even ask about
what’s going on with my hair – I have no idea! lol

I have altered the original recipe quite a bit, so I’ll give you the first way I tried it and then the second way.  Personally, I liked the second way better, but the family voted the first way their favorite (figures!).  So you can decide how healthy you’d like to go with these. :)  Unless you roll them out *really, really thin*, they will come out like a cookie.  Which is fine with me, because it means less crumbs to pick up after my toddler.  You just decide how much you want them to be cooked.  Also, all the pictures are taken from the second version, just so you know.

Graham Crackers, take one:
{Adapted from Carol Emley’s recipe on allrecipes.com}

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C milk

{cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top}

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Cover and chill dough until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rectangles.

I like to trim the edges first and then cut my cookies out
(use a pizza cutter; it’s so much easier!).

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired.  Place 1/2 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp. Edges will be golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire racks.

 

Graham Crackers, take two:

1/2 C butter
between 1/2 and 3/4 cup loose brown sugar
(to cut down a tiny bit on the sugar)
1 tsp vanilla

2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C unbleached white flour
1/2 C ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 C milk

{sugar for sprinkling on top}

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Cover and chill dough until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rectangles. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.  Place 1/2 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Here they are, pre-cooked. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp. Edges will be golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire racks.
 

They’re not going to win any bake sale awards, but they taste good! :)

Enjoy!  They really are surprisingly good!  :)
To find more whole-foods recipes and healthy substitutions, please click here. 

Linked to these food parties:

Tasty Tuesday @ Beauty and Bedlam
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff
Tempt my Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed With Grace