Raisin Rosemary Crisps with Fig Butter

I’ve been a big fan of Trader Joe’s for a while now – so of course I was very excited when they finally opened in Tampa in March!  I love all the fancy gourmet cheeses and inexpensive wine (as you can see in the photo below after one of our Trader Joe’s shopping sprees):

One of my favorite things they carry are Raisin Rosemary Crisps.  These crackers are addicting and you’ll want to eat the whole box – they are perfect for eating on their own, but they go really well with cheese too.  Today I’m snacking on them with fig butter (also from Trader Joe’s).  It tastes like such a gourmet snack but it takes no effort at all to make!  

I did find a recipe for the Raisin Rosemary Crisps on the blog Flour Arrangements, but by the time I purchase all the ingredients I don’t think it would be worth the money or effort.  But if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby you, give this a try!  I haven’t actually tried this recipe out, but from the photo they look very similar to the ones I’m eating.

Raisin Rosemary Crisps

Ingredients:

·        1 cup flour

·        1 teaspoon baking soda

·        1/2 teaspoon salt

·        1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·        2 tablespoons brown sugar

·        1 cup buttermilk

·        2 tablespoons maple syrup

·        1/2 cup raisins

·        1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

·        2 tablespoons millet

·        2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

·        2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Generously butter four 2 1/2-by-5 inch loaf pans.

2. In a small bowl, combine raisins with very hot water.  Let sit for five minutes and then drain well.

3. Meanwhile, stir pumpkin seeds over medium-high heat in a small skillet until they start to crackle and turn just barely brown.  Set aside to cool.  Add millet to the skillet and stir until they begin to make popping sounds.  Add millet to the pumpkin seeds.  Add sesame seeds to the bowl and mix to combine.

4. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, and brown sugar in a medium-sized bowl.  Add cooled seeds, along with the rosemary, and stir to combine.   Add the buttermilk, maple syrup, and raisins; stir until just blended.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch.  Immediately turn out the small loaves and cool on a wire rack.

6. After the loaves cool completely, wrap them in plastic and freeze them for about an hour (the frozen loaves are easier to slice thinly).  Slice loaves as thinly as possible and place the slices in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheets.

7. Bake at 300° F for 15 minutes.  Flip the slices and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes more, until crisp and golden.  Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets.  Once cool, store in an airtight container.