Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two mini loaf pans (~5 ½” x 3 ¼”) with parchment paper.
- Add both flours, baking soda, salt, herbs, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, dried fruit, nuts and zest to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. Stir in the milk and honey until well combined and no streaks of honey remain.
- Divide between the 2 mini pans. Bake for ~25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Let cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight. (You can also leave them frozen for up to 3 months, as long as they are tightly wrapped.)
- Preheat oven to 300˚F.
- Remove from the freezer and let the loaf sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Use a serrated knife to slice into ⅛” thick slices. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then flip each cracker over. Bake for another 12 minutes, then check for doneness. If they aren't quite done, flip again and cook for another 3-8 minutes or longer; ovens vary. They should be golden brown and feel dry to the touch, but they may still look soft due to the fruit. Don’t worry - they will crisp up as they dry! See storage information below.
Notes
Loaf pan size: We used two of these mini loaf pans for this recipe. The size is about 5 ½ inch x 3 ¼ inch. You can also use one standard size loaf pan (~8 ½” x 4 ½”), but if you do, the crackers will be much longer and shorter. This may also change the cook time.
Bake time: When you're baking these in loaf pans, use a toothpick to test doneness. If it comes out clean, you're ready to go.
Second bake: You'll know your second bake is done when the crackers turn a nice brown color - almost like the rye chips in a package of Chex mix. They'll be slightly crispy, and will harden up even more as they cool.
Use a serrated knife to slice the frozen loaf into about ⅛" slices.
Freeze and bake later: You can bake several loaves of these and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for later. If stored properly, they will last for a few months in the freezer. When you're ready to bake, simply remove from the freezer, slice and bake.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a few days. If they start to get soft from the dried fruit, you can always pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up. Note that dried fruit with higher moisture content (like apricots or figs) will make these go soft faster than fruit like dried cranberries.