Raincoast Crisps

I have enjoyed eating crisps for a since they have been on the market, they are amazing to enjoy with different cheeses and spreads.  My only problem is that at close to $8.00 a box they are not very economical and it is very easy to eat through the box quickly.  This year I have made some wonderful savoury jams and I decided to feature them with some brie as an appetizer last night when we had friends over.  I also thought it would be a great time to experiment and try making my own crisps.  If they turned out it would be great, otherwise I had other crackers on hand to take the place.
I searched online for recipes and I came across a few that were very similar and looked promising so I thought I would try two of them first.  I was amazed at how easy they were to make and how well they turned out.
I made one of the recipes with regular whole wheat flour and the other one with a combination of whole wheat flour, rice flour, spelt flour and chick pea flour.  I wanted to see if my guest preferred one over the other as far as the texture went and they enjoyed both of them and did not seem to have a preference.  This excited me because next time I make it I will try making a gluten free version because it will allow my sister a chance to enjoy these wonderful crisps!
An added bonus to these recipes is that before baking them a second time to turn them into the crisps they are frozen and this means you can make a double batch or use mini loaf pans to save some for another day.  Once you take them out of the freezer it takes about 25 minutes for them to be ready to use.

Fruit and Nut Raincoast Crisps (recipe with a blend of flours)

2 cups of a mix of flours (I used whole wheat, spelt, chick pea and rice)

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups butter milk

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp honey, maple syrup or molases

1 cup mix of seeds and or nuts (I used flax seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and pine nuts)

1 cup dried fruit or mixture of dried fruit (I used raisins)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease 2 regular loaf pans or 6 mini loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl mix together the flours, baking soda and salt.  Since I used a blend of flours I wanted to make sure I really blended them together well.
3. Add the buttermilk, sugar and honey and mix.
4. Add in the seeds, dried fruit and nuts and gently combine.
5. Divide evenly into the different pans and bake for about 35 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
6. Take the loaves out of the pans and wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least an hour.  This makes it easier to slice the loaves thinly.
7. Once the loaves are partially frozen slice them thinly and then arrange them on a cookie sheet.
8. Bake them again at 300 F for 12 minutes, then flip the crisps over and bake for another 8 minutes.
9. Allow them to cool before serving and store the extra in an air tight container.

The original recipe can be seen here. 

Cranberry Hazelnut Raincoast Crisps

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 brown sugar

1/4 honey (or maple syrup or molases)

1 cup cranberries

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease 2 regular loaf pans or 6 mini loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.  
3. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar and honey and mix.
4. With a few swift stokes add the cranberries, hazelnuts and seeds.  Combine until just blended.
5. Divide evenly into the different pans and bake for about 35 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
6. Take the loaves out of the pans and wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least an hour.  This makes it easier to slice the loaves thinly.
7. Once the loaves are partially frozen slice them thinly and then arrange them on a cookie sheet.
8. Bake them again at 300 F for 12 minutes, then flip the crisps over and bake for another 8 minutes.
9. Allow them to cool before serving and store the extra in an air tight container.

The original recipe can be viewed here.