Daring Bakers: Crackers and Dip Madness

Today is a special day because we get to unveil the September challenge of Crackers and Dip. Whoa, is it even possible to make crackers? Can't you only buy them in the store? Hey, don't laugh, that's what I thought at first. I mean I knew someone (like elves) HAD to have made them for us to eat.... but me? (points to self*) Good thing I'm rather Daring :)

Special thanks goes out to Natalie from Gluten a Go Go, and Shelly from Musings from a Fishbowl for hosting this event. We have a bunch of firsts here... a savory event for me, and a gluten/vegan challenge. One of the stipulations of this challenge was that the dip had to be gluten free and vegan... which isn't too difficult actually, but it limits maybe you're common dip experiences. Let's just say I had to spend a little time brainstorming and asking some friends some ideas :) That's what friends are for.

We had quite a bit of creative freedom when it came to flavors and seasoning. In my personal tasting opinion, one of them worked for me, and the other... worked... but not as well for me :)

I chose to go with regular crackers with AP flour, because that's what I have on hand, and season them with sea salt and sesame seeds, so we have a bit of salty crunch going on. I actually enjoyed kneading the dough, taking out any stress I had, and they came out nicely, with a little crunch... perfect for watching football.
For the dip I was going to go with caramelized maple onion hummus, to get ourselves a little sweet thing. Who doesn't like salty and sweet? What I bascially did was substitute carmalized onions for garlic, maple syrup for the tahini, and a little olive oil and veggie stock to loosen it all up. So I'm throwing the ingredients in the blender, whistling away as I work... and I flick on the blender switch.

And I flick on the blender switch. And I flick on the blender switch. Nothing. What the?

Oh the blender is busted. Bummer. So we have mashed up by hand chunky style hummus now. Did it work? Yeah it was ok, I just wish I had it a little smoother is all :)
So, I'd say another awesome baking experience is in the books. Thanks to the Daring Bakers for having this great group of friendly, smiling friends, with one common goal... to live dangerously tasty :) Want to join up? Go to the Daring Bakers Page, and be part of the movement :)

Things I learned: (Just like last month)
-Making crackers is rather easy
-Sometimes electrical appliances fail
-Maple syrup really can go on alot of stuff (remember Elf?)
-Once again, I had a blast doing things outside my normal comfort zone

Oh and I made Grasshopper Mint Eclairs last month, check those bad boys out if you can handle it :)

Comments

LizNoVeggieGirl said…
Haha, I was the same way!! I used to think that only Martha Stewart made her own crackers; but really, ANYONE can!! ;0)

Love this month's Daring Bakers Challenge, for sure - so fun!! Glad you enjoyed it.
Gloria Baker said…
Look so good Adam. I admire you, Daring bakers stressed me a bite because how I know me never know what I be cooking and I live at country sometimes I need some things that we dont gave at little stores around!! You are my hero! xxGloria
Ann said…
This actually sounds fantastic, partly bc I'm a huge sesame fan - but mostly bc it sounds like the perfect combo that results in a "savory" snack. Yum...except for that blasted blender, man!!!
Carla said…
I never thought about making crackers either. It's not something people normally think about. Now I'm tempted to try it myself.

And I know it's a little late, but yes I do need a hug after the Steelers lost, especially to Philly. I just hope we can beat Baltimore on Monday night! Hopefully the Jets beat Arizona (Yes, I had to Google their schedule haha)
maple syrup in hummus? Yes! Adam you are breaking ground here buddy (say buddy like Pauly Shore did in Encino Man: Buuuuddeeee).
;-P
Maggie said…
Bummer about the blender but the sesame seed crackers look delicious. My blender is on its last legs and I'm thinking of spending the big dough and getting a Vitamix.
Emily said…
This is the first DB post I've read.

Using maple syrup in savory recipes seems to be getting more and more popular, so I think you're right on track. I love maple.

Too bad about the blender. Are you going to buy a new blender now? Or a food processor?
Clumbsy Cookie said…
I've made it here!!!
Your "textured" hummus sounds really good with the maple syrup. I think it's time to use the maple syrup a friend brought back from Canada.
So where are you gonna do your cocktails, now that you don't have a blender?
I'm so happy you're a DBer as well!!!
Christine said…
Great job with the challenge! Even though it's simple, the cracker topping sounds good. And yeah, Elf, heh!

Btw, the link to Natalie's blog is incorrect.
RecipeGirl said…
Cool. you're a daring baker too! I agree that these are some good football eating crackers. We used ours for the Presidential debate. Football is much more fun! Damn that blender. Time to go shopping!
Anonymous said…
Too bad about your blender - the challenge looks like it turned out well regardless.
Lore said…
Your crackers turned up great! I'm not that good with the rolling pin so I'm a bit scared to try and make them myself :P. Love the sound of that dip and actually I think that chuncky is the way to go with these crackers if you want a cosy rustic feel to them.
Shreya said…
You dared to bake again:-) Great results, and there is always a next time to improve..surprise for you at my blog:-)
Natalie Que said…
LOLOL about the blender being broken and you having hand mashed dip. I swear I will STILL be laughing about this tomorrow. Why is it so darn funny to me?!

Haha about the elves making the crackers too!
Meg said…
Great crackers! What a wonderful hummus recipe! Loving the carmalized onions!
Anonymous said…
Haha. I hate it when electrical things break down.. A day after the warranty expires.
That maple-onion hummus sounds really interesting.
Sarah said…
I used the same, salt and sesame seeds. Yours look great, even if you did have some technical difficulty with your dip!
Sue said…
You made those crackers? They look fantastic.

Sorry about your blender, but making hummus in a blender is such a pain...margaritas on the other hand...One piece of advice. Do NOT buy a Black & Decker one. I bought it because of its gorgeous red color and it is the worst. Even a tiny amount of stuff sloshes to the top. Stick with an Oster for a cost-friendly one.

Those eclairs looked wonderful too. Well done!!!
Adam said…
This is just a test
Mmmm...your crackers look scrumptious. I mean, honest to goodness deliciousness. I'd totally snack on those. But you'd have to ration my portion, 'cause Nik likes to snack. And I like how you still went with the original hummus plan. That shows tenacity. Me, I don't know what I would've done. I DO know that I would have substituted something for the tahini, too. I do not care for it.
Pam said…
The crackers look great - I love sesame seeds. The chunky hummus also looks really tasty - sorry for the blender malfunction. You are quite the baker Adam.
Oh my I want to taste all of this right now.
giz said…
Great challenge this month - such a refreshing change to buttercream and high sugar/calorie cakes. Don't get me wrong - they work too. You've discovered chunky hummus - you could market it.
Dee said…
Hey, your crackers look great! Sesame and salt rock even when there's nothing on the telly :)
Steph said…
Sadly, I havn't made these yet. The caramelized onions and maple sounds like a good combo.. sweet and salty. Handmashed may not be creamy, but it still looks good! Plus sometimes it's nice to have some texture.
Thistlemoon said…
Adam! That hummus is pure genius!!! I am so making this, and soon! I love maple!
Snooky doodle said…
wow you ve been really busy baking. The crackers look so crispy and yummy. These cookies are great. I really like the second photo of the cookies. They look so delicious.
Ummm... I SO wanna eat that dip!! I'm sad I had to miss this challenge... :(
Yasmeen said…
I made some sandwich cookies this morning for my son's lunch box with home-made fig jam filling . The grapefruit cream filling looks creamy and delicious ,I'd try those for a Snack.
Dori said…
This sounds awesome! You've got a really neat blog here, Glad I stopped by :)