Kids in the Kitchen

When I was little I remember very clearly eating tons of graham crackers. Every daycare, every baby sitter, every kitchen cupboard of every house I had ever gone to always had a box of these trusty old faithful snacks. I have eaten them all of my life and my children have picked up their love of graham crackers from me. And yet, until today, this simplest of snack food has been a mystery to me. Like Santa dropping off gifts, it was as though the graham cracker fairy only sent her wares to the stores. That all changed with the help of my 7 year old, Loki, and his sweet little friend. Determined to do some baking they had me search for a recipe that would suit them. And wouldn't you know, out pops childhood favorite graham crackers. The kids were instantly interested and could not wait to get cooking. The recipe is quick and the kids loved pressing down the sweet smelling dough into the cookie sheet in preparation for baking. We liked these graham crackers so much, we thought we would share the recipe with you. Enjoy with love from us to you!

Cinnamon Graham Crackers

(recipe from "The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook" by Cathe Olson)

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter or coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, or honey

1 egg or egg replacer

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking sheet. Beat butter or oil and sweetener together until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until smooth. In separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt together. Use the low speed on your mixer to beat the flour mixture into the liquid mixture. The dough will be crumble but should hold together when pressed in your hand. If it's too dry, add a little water. Press dough into the prepared baking sheet. Score into squares a little over 2 inches big. Prick each square several times with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Cool and break into squares. Makes 2 Dozen