Swedish Breakfast Crackers Recipes

GRANDMA ALMA'S SWEDISH HARDTACK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix oats, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Fold in butter. Mix in milk until dough comes together in a ball.
• Divide dough into thirds. Roll out very thinly on a floured surface using a Swedish or notched rolling pin. Cut into 2-inch pieces and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake crackers until tops are just very slightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

HOMEMADE GOURMET CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all oven types). Grease and line a small loaf tin with baking paper (mine is 21 x 11 x 7 cm / 8.5 x 4.5 x 3") (Note 1).
• Whisk the milk, sugar and yoghurt in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, add plain flour, wholemeal flour and cranberries. Stir - use fingers to break up cranberries if required.
• Add remaining ingredients, including Spices, plus the milk mixture. It should be a thick batter, like muffin batter (note: batter in video looks slightly thicker because it was standing for a couple of minutes, doesn't affect outcome).
• Scrape/pour into tin. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Cool on rack, then wrap in cling wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours, up to 3 months. (Note 2)
• Unwrap loaf and allow to thaw partially so the outside is not rock hard frozen (around 20 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 120C/250F (all oven types). Place one shelf in the middle, and another shelf beneath it.
• Use a serrated bread knife to slice thinly - around 2 mm / 1/12" thick (see video). Place biscuits on 2 large baking trays, you can squeeze them in as they won't expand or stick.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until they are a light brown, swapping trays halfway.
• Leave biscuits on tray to cool - they will harden so they snap when you break them. (Note 3)
• Store in an airtight container for 4 weeks (probably ok for longer, I've only done 4 weeks). Brilliant served with creamy cheeses like brie, camembert, but soft, creamy blue cheeses is the ultimate pairing!

SWEDISH CRISPBREAD (RYE SEED CRACKERS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Measure two pieces of parchment, or get a silicone mat and a similar-sized piece of parchment ready to fit a baking sheet/tray around 10x15in (25x38cm).
• Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and mix them together. Add the oats and seeds (pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds) and mix so evenly distributed.
• Add the oil and water and combine until smooth. Take care not to overmix, you want it just combined. It should feel slightly stiff but still spreadable (add slightly more water if too stiff).
• Turn the mixture out onto the silicone mat or one piece of parchment and press the dough out to flatten a little. Top with the other piece of parchment and then roll out with a rolling pin to be around the same size as the piece of parchment. If it spreads beyond the area, you can trim a bit off and stick it to an area that has not spread as much. Then re-cover and roll over gently to help it join.
• Remove the top layer of parchment and carefully transfer the silicone mat/parchment to the baking sheet/tray. Score the top of the dough to make squares or rectangles of the size you want the crackers to be - I got around 24.
• Place the baking sheet/tray in the oven and bake for around 20 minutes until the top if dry and firm and the edges are just starting to become darker.
• Leave the crackers to cool a minute or two then cut along the score lines to break into crackers.

SWEDISH BREAKFAST CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Lightly grease two 17 x 14- inch baking sheets without sides.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar; add the egg and beat until light.
• In another bowl, stir the flours together with the baking powder and salt.
• Add to the creamed mixture along with the milk and mix until the dough is well blended.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
• Flatten each half of the dough and place one on each baking sheet.
• Sprinkle lightly with flour.
• With a rolling pin, roll the dough out directly on the baking sheet, adding flour as necessary to keep from sticking, until the dough is 12 x 15 inches and about 1/4 inch thick.
• Pierce all over with a fork.
• With a straight knife, cut into 2 x 3-inch rectangles, leaving them in place.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown.
• Remove from the oven and, with a sharp knife, cut the crackers where they were scored to separate, leaving them on the baking sheet.
• Turn off the oven and return the crackers to the oven to crisp, about 10 minutes.
• Makes about 48 crackers.
• The Great Holiday Baking Book.