Wannabe Raincoast Crisps

 

If you ever tasted Raincoast Crisps you probably had the same reaction I had, "OMG...these things are delicious and so addictive!" and then "I wish they weren't so expensive."  At about $10 for a small box they definitely weren't an everyday snack.  

Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner but I recently found an amazing recipe online that replicates these dried fruit and nut crisps perfectly.  In fact, a friend who I gave samples to said they tasted even better than the original!  Now if that isn't a seal of approval I don't know what is.   

I highly recommend you try making these yourself - they're so easy to recreate at home and cost a lot less too.  The crisps are really delicious with some cheese and fresh fruit jam.  The recipe is easily adaptable to whatever dried fruit and nut combination you like.  I split one recipe in half so I could have two flavors: fig/hazelnut and cranberry/pecan.  These crackers are fantastic served with your favorite cheese.  I plan on making tons to give as part of my holiday gifts.

Raincoast Crisps

Makes about 8 dozen crackers

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitos)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup flax seed

 1/4 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

1 cup dried fruit (e.g., figs, cranberries, raisins, cherries, etc.)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (e.g., pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.) 

Preheat oven to 350° F.

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 remaining ingredients and stir just until blended.

Pour the batter into two 8”x4” loaf pans (or 4 small loaf pans) that have been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake 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. You can put them in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for 30 minutes.  Slice the loaves as thin as you can and place the slices in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Reduce the oven heat to 300° F and bake them for about 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes, until crisp and deep golden.