Free Crackers & Dips by Ivy Manning Page A

brown around the edges, 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once from front to back while baking. Watch carefully; do not let the crostini become too brown, because they will continue to crisp as they cool. Transfer the crostini to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze in zip-top bags for up to 3 months.

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    SWEET TREATS: DESSERT CRACKERS

ANIMAL CRACKERS
    WITH ZESTY LEMON FROSTING
    I loved animal crackers as a child, but as an adult, I find them to be overly sweet and bland at the same time. I’ve fixed that by developing my own recipe for animal crackers that uses less sugar than the boxed kind and features lemon zest in the cracker dough and a lemon glaze to decorate the crackers.
    Oat flour lends a soft, milky flavor to these crackers that’s strongly reminiscent of packaged animal crackers, so don’t be tempted to leave it out. Oat flour is available in bulk at most natural foods stores and some grocery stores, but you can make your own by blitzing rolled oats in a food processor to a fine powder.
    MAKES 45 ANIMAL CRACKERS
    1½ cups plus 2 tbsp/200 g unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
    ⅓ cup/40 g oat flour
    ¼ cup/50 g packed light brown sugar
    ¼ cup/50 g granulated sugar
    2 tsp finely grated organic lemon zest, plus
    1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
    1 tsp baking powder
    ¼ tsp fine sea salt
    4 tbsp/55 g chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces
    ¼ cup/60 ml buttermilk
    2 tbsp honey
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1¾ cups/180 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
    1 tbsp milk
    2 tbsp candy sprinkles (optional)
    In the bowl of a food processor or a large bowl, pulse or whisk the all-purpose flour, oat flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse or use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 15 pulses with a food processor.
    In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, honey, and vanilla and stir until the honey has dissolved. Add to the flour mixture and pulse or stir with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. Remove the dough from the processor or bowl and knead gently on a lightly floured surface until smooth, 10 strokes. Flatten the dough into two equal-size disks, cover in plastic wrap, and chill them for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
    Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas 5. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Place one piece of the dough on a well-floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is ⅛ in/4 mm thick, lifting the dough and rotating to make sure it’s not sticking to the work surface and adding all-purpose flour as necessary.
    Use lightly floured cookie cutters to cut out animal shapes. Using a lightly floured bench scraper or offset spatula, transfer the cut-outs to one of the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll the scraps once and cut them out in the same way. Bake the animal crackers until light golden brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once from back to front while baking. Cool the crackers on the sheet until they firm up, 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. While the first batch of crackers is cooling, repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking process with the remaining dough and scraps.
    Once the cookies are completely cool, frost them. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and milk and stir until smooth. Spread a thin layer of the glaze over each animal cracker, scattering sprinkles over the crackers as you frost, if desired, and let them stand at room temperature until the glaze is completely set, 1 hour. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
    CRACKER TIP: To make your honey easier to measure, try microwaving it with the cap off until it is warm and more liquid in consistency; about 20 seconds on full power in the average microwave usually does