Sea Salt And Pepper Crackers Food

SEA SALT AND PEPPER CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush 2 large baking sheets generously with oil.
• Toast 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper in a dry small skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cool pepper.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon table salt in a bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Add shortening and blend into flour mixture with a pastry blender or your fingertips (or pulse in processor) until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps. Drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated, then test again.
• Divide dough into 2 portions and flatten each into a 3-inch square.
• Roll out each square on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 20- by 8-inch rectangle. Trim edges and sprinkle each sheet with teaspoon toasted pepper. Run rolling pin lightly over dough to embed pepper in pastry. Brush each sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
• Cut sheets crosswise with a small sharp knife into 1-inch-wide strips (straight or wavy). Arrange strips evenly spaced in 1 layer on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 16 to 20 minutes total. Transfer to racks to cool.

SALT AND PEPPER CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until blended, for approximately 30 seconds. Sift the flour and cornstarch together in a bowl, and then add to the mixer and mix until the ingredients all come together. Finally, sprinkle over the black pepper and mix again. Tip the dough out onto a board and form it into 2 discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter, approximately 12-by-15-inch in size, and dust with flour. When the dough has rested, unwrap the first ball, put on top of the parchment paper, flour the surface of the dough and rolling pin and roll out to a 9-inch diameter circle, 1/16-inch thick.
• Trim the circle into an 8-by-8-inch square, discarding the scraps. Then cut down in 2-inch strips and across in 2-inch strips, making sixteen 2-by-2-inch squares. Using a small offset spatula, place the squares on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle a pinch of flaked sea salt over each cracker. Repeat the process with the second dough ball.
• Bake for 18 minutes. Do not allow the crackers to brown; check your oven sooner if it runs hot. Set aside to cool for 20 to 25 minutes before packaging up.