Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crisps

Here's another way to use up the raisins in the pantry! 

This was such an intriguing idea that I had to give it a try, and they turned out to be delicious little crackers. (Wayne thought they were mediocre at best and says to stick to store bought. Apparently I found a copycat recipe for a Trader Joe product. I guess we'll have to go buy a box and see how they compare.) Note that we also tried these after the first round of baking when it was still bread. That was yummy as well, although the texture was a bit rubbery.

Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crisps

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup wheat germ (or ground flax seed)
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar and honey and stir a few strokes. Add the raisins, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, wheat germ, and rosemary and stir just until blended.

Pour the batter into two 8x4-inch loaf pans* that have been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

The cooler the bread, the easier it is to slice really thin. When you're ready to bake them again, preheat the oven to 300°F. Slice the loaves as thin as you can and place the slices in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake them for about 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes, until crisp and deep golden. 

Makes about 6 dozen crackers.

*Or four mini loaf pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes the first time, and a total of 25-30 minutes the second time.