Monday, November 28, 2011

King Arthur Flour Potato, Onion and Dill Crackers

So Thanksgiving is over...it's sad really, but the end of Thanksgiving marks the beginning of my favorite month of the year so it's a bittersweet ending for me.  However, of course Thanksgiving tends to last long past the day itself, especially if you're measuring in leftovers.  The one thing that I always find that we make far too much of is mashed potatoes.  Now, I'd never complain about too many mashed 'taters but at some point the question becomes- what to do with them before they spoil?  This year I was bound and determined to come up with a good use. 

Flipping through what has become my go to guide for all baked goods, the King Arthur Flour cook book, I found a recipe for Potato, Dill and Onion Crackers that used pre mashed potatoes.  I was sold immediately.

2 cups (8½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. dried dill weed ( I used fresh and chopped it fine)
1 Tbsp. onion powder
4 Tbsp. (½ stick, 2 ounces) butter
1 cup (10 ounces) mashed potatoes, or 1 medium russet potato (about 8 ounces) plus 3 Tbsp. (1½ ounces) salad oil and 1 tsp. salt (see Note)
¼ cup (2 ounces) water
~ Coarse salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, dill, and onion powder. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture looks like small crumbs. Add the mashed or roasted potatoes, mixing to combine everything evenly. Sprinkle the water over the mixture a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork to distribute it evenly. Continue adding water until the dough just comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour before rolling out.


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.


Roll out the dough as thin as possible (about ⅛ inch thick) on a lightly floured surface or on a sheet of parchment paper. Prick the dough all over with a fork, brush with water, then sprinkle with coarse salt. Cut the dough into strips with a ruler and a pizza cutter or fluted pastry wheel. You can make whatever shape and size you like: small squares, diamonds, or rectangles. Any scraps or odd shapes can be squeezed together, then rolled again.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased baking sheet, or slide the parchment with the cut crackers on it onto your baking pan. Bake the crackers for 18 to 22 minutes, until they begin to take on a light golden-brown color. Remove the pan from the oven and put it on a rack to cool the crackers. They will finish crisping as they cool.

These crackers had a delightful onion dill flavor, and a certain unexpected creaminess from the potatoes.  I rolled a couple batches a bit too thick and they weren't as crisp as they should have been, but otherwise they were delicious.  Think a baked potato loaded with onions, sour cream and fresh dill- a wonderful combination!

4 comments:

Emily @ A Cambridge Story said...

What an excellent way to repurpose the potatoes! I bet these were incredible.

Elizabeth said...

I love potato dill bread. Cool to have it in crackers.

Delicious Dishings said...

What an awesome idea! I think I would make potato rolls if I had leftover mashed potatoes... but now I have another option too. (Of course I have no leftover potatoes though.)

csr said...

Great use of Thanksgiving leftovers - thanks for sharing your treat with other holiday bakers. Irene @ KAF

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