Homemade Graham Crackers

I have this thing with graham crackers. They are not the tastiest cookie in all the world, but I love them. I love having them around the house. After Will was born and I was in the hospital, I requested that my husband bring me a Diet Coke and a box of graham crackers. When I’m stress eating in the middle of the night, 9 times out of 10, it’s graham crackers and milk. When I’m starving in the morning and my kids are late for school, I grab a couple graham crackers before we head out the door.

My Grandma Randle always had graham crackers around her house. She had lots of treats, too, but those were definitely a controlled substance. The graham crackers, however, were fair game. My parents also always had graham crackers, even if they didn’t keep a lot of treats around the house. So maybe it’s a comfort food thing. In times of duress and boredom, I turn to graham crackers.

Imagine my excitement when I found these graham crackers in Martha Stewart Living magazine. So one dreary, rainy, thundery day when it felt cooler than usual and my little girl was sick and sad on the couch, I finally made them. And we loved them. They don’t taste EXACTLY like graham crackers, especially if you roll them a little too thick *cough* like me *cough cough*. But they’re old-fashioned and comforting, kind of like a cross between gingerbread and shortbread, only with whole grains and no eggs.

You’ll need some all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, butter, honey, and brown sugar.

Measure out the flours by lightly spooning them into the measuring cups and leveling it off with the back of a knife. It’s important that you measure them this way because this dough has the potential to be VERY dry, so this will help keep the right consistency. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl…

and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, and honey.

Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture.

Beat until combined.

Lightly flour a work surface (a silicone rolling mat or wax or parchment paper work great because you can transfer the dough directly into the fridge) and turn the dough onto the floured surface.

Roll the dough out until it’s 1/8″ (you may need to work in 2 batches).

Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut the dough with your favorite cookie cutters or a fluted pastry wheel and place on a baking sheet.

Refrigerate or freeze for another 10-15 minutes or until the dough is very firm. If desired, use a fork to prick the dough to ensure even baking.

Bake for 10-14 minutes or until very lightly brown around the edges (it can be a little tricky to tell), being careful not to overbake. Makes about 2 dozen graham crackers, although it really varies on how thick your dough ends up and how large you cut the graham crackers.