amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

cherrysberries · 05-12-2004, 10:30 AM

I know they have to be out there. I'm tired of buying convience food for my kiddos that are IMO substandard.

I need recipes for crackers. How in the heck do you make them, I mean people make them so they can't be hard, LOL.
I've tried searching the web but all you get are recipes using crackers.

We have made few chips out of store bought tortillas but we need to start making our own of those as well so if anyone has a corn tortilla recipe that would be great too (we have wheat somewhere).

They have to be cheaper than store bought and I think my son would love to help me make them.

And this will sound insane but I'd love to make and can cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup but can't find recipes on those either. Those are the basis for a few of my favorite recipes but lets face it Cambell's I'm sure didn't invite those soups. (I know, I know, I need a good canning book, but I do have some, they are just packed because we have too many cookbooks and we are trying to sell our house).

I'd also love information on using honey instead of sugar. But they made food before sugar and I'm sure some of it was sweet. I know alot of it is probably lost forever but someone into period recreations probably know some atleast but I can't seem to find anything (or I guess can't figure out the right way to search for it).

Anyone else think of a food we take for granted that they would love a recipe for?

TIA

heather · 05-12-2004, 02:52 PM

Howdy Cherry!

None of that sounds insane at all. Well not to me at least...I think the exact same way. If it comes in a box or in a can then I *can and will* make it!

I have some good recipes for you to try. I do not have one for corn torillas though, but now I want one and as soon as I find it I'll post it. Here we go....

Crackers:
When searching online for cracker recipes, try searching for hardtack, pilots bread or wafer bread. Some doughs can be kept in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to roll. Most baked crackers will store for a week or so, and can be revived in a low oven should they loose their crispness. A lot of the recipes call for a food processor....I just do it by hand and it's fine. Do not overmix to avoid a tough cracker. After the liquid is added you should only mix/process until the dough *just* comes together and is good enough to handle. Use an extremely sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut the cracker dough. There are some rolling tools that will give you a decorative edge if you like that.
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SIMPLE WHITE CRACKERS

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut up
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp milk
Kosher salt, for topping

Heat oven to 325*
In food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar.
Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
With machine running, gradually add milk and process until dough comes together.
Transfer dough to lightly floured surface.
Roll into a 10" x 12" sheet, 1/16 of an inch thick.
Sprinkle with Kosher salt and roll *gently* to push the salt into the dough.
Cut into 2 1/2" squares.
Carefully transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.
Liberally pierce with fork.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until *just* brown and firm to the touch.
Transfer to wire rack to cool.
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WHEAT SQUARES

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp taosted wheat germ
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut up
1 Tbsp honey
3/4 cup milk
1 egg white
Kosher salt for topping

Heat oven to 325*
In food processor, pulse flours, wheat germ, and salt.
Add the butter, pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
With machine running, gradually add honey and milk.
Process until dough comes together.
Transfer to lightly floured surface and dived into 4 equal parts.
Roll each into 10" x 10" sheet, 1/8" thick.
Transfer to ungreased baking sheets.
Score into 1 1/2" squares.
Pierce each square 3 times with a fork.
Brush egg white over dough and sprinkle with Kosher salt.
Bake for 20 minutes until crackers become stiff.
Turn with spatulaand bake another 6-8 minutes or until crackers are light brown and firm.
Transfer to wire rack to cool.
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SEASME ROUNDS

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (1 Tbsp dried)
3 Tbsp seasame seeds
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut up
1/4 cup cold water
1 large egg white
Kosher salt for topping

Heat oven to 350*
In processor, pulse together flour, salt, pepper, lemon zest, thyme,and 2 Tbsp of the sesame seeds.
Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
With machine running, add 1/4 cup cold water and process until dough comes together.
Transfer to lightly floured surface and divide dough into 2 equal parts.
Roll out to 1/8" thickness.
Cut into 2 1/2" circles and transfer to ungreased baking sheet.
Brush egg white over rounds and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds and Kosher salt.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until firm to the touch.
Transfer to witre rack to cool.
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ARMY HARDTACK

4 cups flour (perferably whole wheat)
4 tsp salt
About 2 cups Water

Pre-heat oven to 375°
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl.
Add just enough water (less than two cups) so that the mixture will stick together, producing a dough that won’t stick to hands, rolling pin or pan.
Mix the dough by hand.
Roll the dough out, shaping it roughly into a rectangle.
Cut into the dough into squares about 3 x 3" and ½" thick.
After cutting the squares, press a pattern of four rows of four holes into each square. Do not punch through the dough.
Turn each square over and do the same thing to the other side.
Place the squares on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes.
The crackers should be slightly brown on both sides.
The fresh crackers are easily broken but as they dry, they harden and assume the consistentency of fired brick.
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SWEDISH HARDTACK

1 c water
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp honey
3 cups rye flour (or 1 1/2 cups rye & 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 Tbsp brewer's yeast (optional)
1/4 tsp salt

Oven to 425*
Mix liquids together.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.
Combine the mixtures, stirring to moisten throughout.
Form a ball.
On a floured surface, flatten the dough, and roll out thinly.
Cut into squares and prick each cracker with the tines of a fork a couple of times.
Transfer to lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake about 8 minutes, checking to be sure not to over-brown.
It is best served warm.
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PILOTS BREAD

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick oats.
3 cups unbleached flour.
1 1/2 tsp salt.
1 tsp baking soda.

In a separate container, mix:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk.
3 Tbsp honey.
1/2 cup melted butter

Oven to 450*
Combine the two sets of ingredients.
When the dough is thoroughly mixed, roll it out on a floured board to a thickness of about a quarter inch.
Cut out circles of dough with a large drinking glass dipped in flour and put them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake for about 6 minutes.
Let the hardtack cool on a wire rack before serving with jam or jelly.
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HARDTACK

1 1/2 Cups milk
4 Cups flour
4 Tbsp butter
3 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt

Oven to 400*
Mix the ingredients into a dough and roll out to a thickness of about 1/2".
Cut into squares.
Prick the squares with a fork or knife.
Place them on a lightly greased baking pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Yield: 24 2 x 2-inch bars.

heather · 05-12-2004, 03:23 PM

Cream Soups:
Most of the time when I want a cream soup I just make a clear broth based soup (very basic) and add very thick cream sauce made from a small amount of roux and about a pint or so of cream and thin it out with half and half. I like chunky soup, so I hardly ever puree, but if you are looking for that store-bought-like end product then you will need a blender to smooth things out before serving. I make cream of: chicken, garlic (YUM!), mushroom, celery, potato, asparagus, and broccoli soups this way. Here are some other recipes though....
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CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

5 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large onion - chopped
1 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper - to taste

In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook mushrooms, onion, and thyme in stock for 10-15 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.
Pour half of the saucepan contents into a blender with the flour and puree; return puree to saucepan.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.
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CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP (very similar to the one above)

4 Tbsp Butter
1 small onion; Finely Chopped
1/2 lb Fresh Mushrooms; Finely Chopped
1 Tbsp Unbleached Flour
2 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Salt & Pepper; To Taste

Melt the butter in a pot and add the onion and mushrooms.
Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle with the flour and cook for a few minutes more.
Slowly add the stock, and reheat, stirring, until it reaches the boiling point.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the cream and season to taste.

COLD MUSHROOM SOUP:
Use an additional 1/4 cup of heavy cream and chill.
Adjust the salt and serve in cold soup bowls with chives sprinkled on top.
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CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery (with leaves), chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp flour
7 cups chicken stock
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 3/4 cups cooked, diced chicken
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes.
Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes more.
Pour in the stock and bring to a boil while whisking constantly.
Tie the parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the soup.
Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the chicken and bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat.
Whisk the heavy cream and salt into the soup and season with pepper to taste.
Remove and discard the herb bundle.
Serve immediately
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CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

2 cups chopped celery, divided
2 cups chopped carrots, divided
4 Tbsp butter
2 cups onions, diced
3 Tbsp flour
6 cups hot vegetable broth, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream

In a small saucepan add 1 cup celery, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup vegetable broth.
Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
Drain and reserve cooked vegetables.
In a large saucepan, over medium high heat, melt butter.
Add onions and saute until clear.
Whisking, add flour, cook 2 minutes making sure flour does not brown.
Add 5 cups vegetable broth and continue to whisk until mixture boils, making sure to reach the bottom of the pan.
Add uncooked 1 cup celery and 1 cup carrots.
Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 30 minutes.
When cooked strain soup through a fine sieve into a clean pot reserving vegetables.
In a blender puree vegetables with 1 1/2 cups of liquid.
Stir puree into pot with liquid.
Stir in cream, reserved vegetables.
Heat and serve

Edited to Add:
That celery soup recipe above can be modified to make cream of 'anything' soup. Replace the 2 cups chopped celery with whatever veggie you desire and reduce the amount of carrots to about 2 medium, chopped (if that makes any sense.) When I make asparagus soup I do not add carrots or celery, but do add onions and garlic. Any other vegetable soup should have at least a little bit if celery, carrot, and onions.

khogue2002 · 05-12-2004, 04:02 PM

Homemade convenience recipes...there is a recipe for "cream of something" soup.
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/conveniencefoods.htm

How to make your own corn chips
http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/cornchips.html