How to Make a Care Package (or, Foods That Don’t Go Bad Quickly…)
After reading each post I write, D tells me he’s looking forward to coming back home to raid our ever-expanding (or is it ever-contracting?) freezer. I thought, why make him wait? I’ll send him a little care package of edible goodies to munch on, simultaneously filling him tummy with good food and his mind with good thoughts (of me, that is). But when it comes to actually making the goodies, I was unsettled on what to send.
Cookies seem dependable yet predictable, quick breads (i.e. banana bread) get stale too quickly if pre-sliced and are cumbersome if they’re sent whole, and muffins get smooshed easily. Then I thought, why does a care package have to be limited to sweet foods? It doesn’t, and here are two recipes for savory treats that will make your care package recipient the happiest he’s ever been away from home. Enjoy : )
Care package necessity number 1:
Crackers in Two Varieties: Plain and Salsa
Makes 5-6 dozen crackers (depending on size)
3 cups all purpose flour (you can subsitute half this amount for whole wheat or ww pastry flour, if desired)
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
optional: 1/4 cup salsa (I prefer the finely chopped kind with a medium amount of heat, but it’s your choice).
* If using salsa, reduce water to 3/4 cup)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchments paper. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, then add oil and water (and salsa, if using). Mix well to create a fairly stiff dough, adding a little more water if necessary (depending on climate, humidity, etc, you might need a little more water to make the dough easier to roll out).
2. Cut the dough in 4 even pieces, and wrap in plastic. Let rest on the counter for 15 minutes to fully relax.
3. Taking on piece of dough at a time, roll dough out on a very lightly floured surface, to no more than 1/8th of an inch, and less if possible. If you have a pasta machin, feel free to use it to thin out the dough to less than 1/8th of an inch thickness.
4. Use a small (about 2 inch diameter) round cookie cutter, a knife, or a pastry cutter to cut crackers from the dough. Prick each cracker with a fork to prevent it from rising too much in the oven. (If you don’t care about the crackers looking uniform, you can save time and prick the dough prior to cutting it into shapes.) Place crackers on the baking sheets. Spacing isn’t necessary since they really don’t expand much, just don’t let them touch.
5. Place baking sheets in the oven, rotating them half way, to ensure even cooking, for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on a rack and serve, or place in tins or bags to store. They keep for 1 month.
Note: If you like saltier crackers, brush on a thin coat of olive oil once they are on the baking sheets and sprinkle them with coarse salt prior to baking.
Some goat gouda and blackberry jam pair well with the plain variety of these crackers
Care package necessity number 2:
Homemade Soft Pretzels
Makes 6 pretzels
1/8 oz (1 1/2 tsp) rapid rise yeast (1/2 a package- just estimate, you’ll be fine)
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, cold, cut into small pieces
coarse salt, for sprinkling
oil for greasing baking sheet
Method
1. Grease 1 large baking sheet or two small ones. Add yeast to warm water in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter, using a pastry cutter or rubbing the mixture between your hands, until the butter pieces are no larger than small peas. Pour in yeast mixture and mix well to create a wet dough. Grease a large bowl and dump dough into it, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until nearly double in size.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Flour your rolling surface well and place dough on top of it. Sprinkle more flour over the dough and gently work the dough for just 1 minute, until it is smooth and soft and no longer feels wet to the touch. Cut the dough in half, then cut each half into three even pieces. Place 5 pieces under a towel while you roll the first one into a rope. bring the two ends up to make a “U”, cross the ends, and bring the loop up over the cross and 1 inch below the ends. See picture below for assistance. Place formed pretzel under the towel and repeat with remaining dough pieces. Proof for an additional 20 minutes. When time is about up, bring a pot of salted water to a boil on the stove.
3. Two at a time, drop pretzels into boiling water. Boil for 45 seconds, then remove to a large piece of wax paper and immediately sprinkle with coarse salt. Repeat with other 4 pretzels. Place pretzels on the greased baking sheet(s) and bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden, risen, and cooked through. Enjoy hot, or let cool and rewarm in an oven, toaster oven, or microwave. Enjoy!
-M : )
