At the end of every year, people indulge so that they can start the new year fresh with promises of eating healthy and exercising more. I am more of the moderation mindset when it comes to food, so instead of pounds upon pounds of cookies, layer after layer of cakes, and dozens upon dozens of chocolates, I decided to make crackers and dips as gifts. First, pecorino olive oil whole wheat crackers.
A quick toast and spin and toast in a 450 degree oven, I had nearly a bucketful of thin, crispy, crunchy crackers full of olive oil and whole wheat goodness. Using a fine, Italian extra virgin olive oil and a lovely Italian pecorino, the crackers turned out hearty with just a touch of cheesy goodness. I boxed them up and paired them with some homemade bruschetta and cheese balls (the cream cheese kind, not the crunchy Utz kind). I spent a lot of the holiday season digging up old recipes I picked up in elementary and middle school. Who knew that summer recreation program recipe from 2nd grade or that random Spanish Academy recipe would come in so handy all of these years later.
For those with a sweet tooth, I went for a homemade graham cracker. A recipe that calls for two tablespoons of vanilla extract catches my attention. The apartment smelled amazing for a couple of days after the first batch. Thank you, Smitten Kitchen, for such an amazing recipe.
Graham crackers are always delicious with cream cheese, so why not make a lovely cream cheese dip to pair with them. When I lived in the South, pumpkin cheesecake dip was always served with graham crackers during the holidays. Instead of brown sugar, I used 1/3 cup of agave syrup and used neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese. Tangy, spicy, and sweet, the dip really satisfies the sweet tooth without putting on those pesky holiday pounds.
Stay tuned to see what other recipes I pull out from my childhood.
Stereotype Rebel 