Rosemary, Apricot, and Pistachio Crisps

BUY NOW – The Messy Baker! 

Are you ready for some fun in your kitchen? Please welcome – The Messy Baker! A wonderful debut cookbook by my friend Charmian Christie. I cannot tell how much much I waited for this book! I was one of her recipe testers and her delicious recipes made me quite the hit with my kids! I am not much of a baker but I did attempt some of the dishes in this book and guess what? I did not fail!

I love how the book is divided into sections like gritty, drippy, smudgy.. totally my kind of cooking!!

There are over 75 sweet and savory recipes.. each one of them worth a try and a permanent spot in your cooking repertoire. Charmian’s voice is warm and friendly and for someone like me, who is not a confident baker, she provides great tips on what to do when disaster strikes!

BUY NOW – The Messy Baker! 

I am featuring two terrific recipes from this book. First one is an apricot crisp and up tomorrow, a lovely tart!

Rosemary, Apricot, and Pistachio Crisps

Recipe from The Messy Baker by Charmian Christie. Used here with permission.

This apricot and pistachio version of Raincoast Crisps is adapted from Julie Van Rosendaal’s recipe for these double-baked treats. Delightfully crisp, these crackers are bursting with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. A hint of rosemary makes them the perfect match for cheese at parties. If for some reason they outlast the cheese, nibble them plain. Be warned, an entire batch will disappear quickly at parties, leaving the water biscuits and rice crackers feeling snubbed. Are they sweet? A little. Are they savory? A titch. Are they addictive? Totally. Bet you can’t eat just one.

Makes 6 to 8 dozen | Commitment Level : Done in Stages

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1?2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1?2 cup chopped pistachios

1?2 cup pumpkin seeds

1?4 cup sesame seeds

1?4 cup ground flax seeds

11?2 tablespoons chopped fresh

rosemary

2 cups buttermilk

1?4 cup packed brown sugar

1?4 cup honey, warmed

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat two 8″ × 4″ or 9″ × 5″ loaf pans with cooking spray, or grease liberally with butter and dust with flour.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the apricots, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, and rosemary, and toss to coat evenly with the flour mixture. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, brown sugar, and honey and stir until the sugar and honey dissolve. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the loaf pans. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden and springy to the touch. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool on a rack. The bread is easier to slice when cool, so bake the day before or pop it in the freezer to cool it down.

3. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Using a serrated knife, slice the loaves as thinly as you can. Aim for no thicker than 1?8″ if possible. Place the slices in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn them over and bake for 10 minutes, or until they are crisp and deep golden brown.

BUY NOW – The Messy Baker! 

Photograph of crisp by superbly talented Andrea Meyers.