Sesame Crackers & Roasted Garlic-Red Pepper Dip

I’m not fond of store-bought crackers, so I learned to make my own. Serve these easy to make Sesame Crackers with Roasted Garlic-Red Pepper dip while partying by the pool, as munchies before dinner, or for a snack while watching video-of-the-week.

Roasted Garlic–Red Pepper Dip (1 ½ – 2cups)

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic
• 4 large red peppers
• spray vegetable oil
• ½ C cream cheese
• ½ C plain yogurt
• 2 Tbs fresh lime juice
• 3 Tbs fresh basil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Remove most of the loose outer skin from the garlic and, while leaving the head intact, chop about ¼ inch off the top (the unattached end) to expose the cloves.
3. Place the garlic, cut side up, with the red peppers evenly spaced on a cookie sheet.
4. Lightly spray the garlic and peppers with oil.
5. Roast the garlic and peppers for 30 to 45 minutes.
6. Remove the garlic when it is soft (about 30 min); before the peppers are ready.
7. Turn the peppers several times while cooking. Remove from the oven when their skins turn dark brown and begin to separate from the flesh. Try not to break the skin.
8. When the garlic and peppers have cooled enough to handle, remove and discard the skins, seeds and stems. Strain and save the liquid from the peppers if you can.
9. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Sesame Crackers (makes 96)

Ingredients

• 3 C all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 stick (1/2 C) cold butter cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 C plain yogurt
• 1 ¼ C toasted sesame seeds
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs honey
• 1 Tbs soy sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF
2. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well mixed.
3. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal. Don’t let the butter melt; chill in the refrigerator if you have to.
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the yogurt plus 1 C of the sesame seeds until the mixture forms dough.
5. Divide the dough into quarters. Roll each quarter into a log, 5 – 6 inches long and 1 – 1 ½  inches thick. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. The dough can stay refrigerated for several days before baking.
6. While the dough is chilling, stir together the egg, honey, and soy sauce. This is the glaze for the crackers.
7. Work with one dough log at a time and keep the others refrigerated. Slice 1 log into 12 equal portions. Gently form each portion into a rectangle ¾ inches wide and about 2 inches long.
8. On a floured board or waxed paper, roll out each portion into a 12 X 1 ¼ inch strip.
9. Transfer each strip to a lightly oiled baking sheet.
10. Brush each strip with the egg glaze and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds.
11. With a knife or pizza cutter, score the center of each strip to make two 6 inch crackers.
12. Bake 2 cookie sheets at a time in the upper and lower racks of the oven for about 20 minutes. Switch racks halfway through to ensure even baking.
13. Bake until the glaze is golden brown and the crackers are crisp. Watch carefully near the end of cooking and remove individuals as they are ready. They may seem slightly soft at first but will crisp more as they cool.
14. Transfer to cooling racks. They can be kept crispy for several days in an airtight container.