Whole Wheat Crackers

These are so good!! Crackers as we know them in America are not generally available in Nigeria; if you stumble across a stray box the price is likely to be ten dollars or more!! I start by sorting through the wheat berries and grinding them with an attachment on my heavy duty stand mixer. I like the whole wheat to be coarse for crackers, it adds texture.

3 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil or cooking margarine (not spread)
1 egg
milk
spices to taste

Combine the flours, baking powder, and salt. Cut the margarine into the flour. Beat the egg in a 1 cup measure and add enough milk to bring the liquid up to one cup. Add liquid to flour mixture and mix till well combined. Form a ball and knead for a few moments.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220C).

Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll out very thin on a floured board. You can now sprinkle the dough with a little salt, pepper, sesame seeds, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, or whatever suits you; and roll lightly to press the seasonings into the dough. Transfer greased cookie sheets (the easiest way is to roll up the dough, and unroll it on the pan). Prick the dough all over with a fork (unless you happen to own the old-fashioned doodad that women used to keep for piercing crackers, in which case use that). Cut into desired size with a pizza wheel or pie crust cutter. Bake crackers 7-10 minutes, till lightly browned (or well-browned, if you want them to be very crisp) Watch carefully in the last minutes, they are so thin they change quickly. Let cool completely on a rack before storing in an airtight container.

There will inevitably be some "waste" trimmings after cutting to squares; bake these and crumble for a salad topping.

These are good alone, and even better with Yogurt Cheese Spread.