Cracker Spoons: the Perfect Dipper, Dunker, and Dabber

Cracker Spoons: Have Your Spoon and Eat it Too!

I had 6 months to plan Amy’s Baby Shower for Heidi Marie. After all, it takes 9 months to have a baby, no? So, once I asked if I could have “the grandma” shower, I was on full research mode. It was January. The perfect activity for January is to plan a summer baby shower.

I love homemade crackers. I don’t always have the time to make them. Well, I likely have the time. I don’t make and take the time to make them. But I love to make them and I was flipping through some magazines (yes, the paper kind), and googling, as well, when I found this idea in a Southern Cooking Magazine.

Loved it. I could use cracker spoons with a zillion recipes. I could make them with a zillion recipes. I was all in. I needed to find a spoon cookie cutter “just the right size”.  Apparently, Crate and Barrel used to carry one several years ago. No more. I did find the one and only one anywhere at The Cookie Cutter Shop here. Don’t ask about the postage. I wanted it, anyway and am thrilled with my little spoon shaped crackers!

I used the article I found to inspire the crackers, but basically created my own seasoning and made a puff pastry cracker, but flattened the pastry in the same fashion as making a mille-feuille, to be described later, so that they remained firm and flat, but still contained “a thousand leaves” of pastry to crunch through with each bite.

Cracker Spoons: The Seasoning Spice Blend

I basically combined the flavour combination that I thought would taste good from my limited experience with creating seasoning mixes and my rather sound experience with tasting flavours.

Tastes good so far, but now needs texture and colour contrast.

Black sesame seeds. Later, once the first batch was baked, I also sprinkled them all with Black Hawaiian sea salt. They just needed some finishing salt for eating plain. I suppose it would depend upon what you planned to eat them with. I like to prepare them so they taste great on their own, regardless.

Cracker Spoons: Preparing the Dough

Roll out each portion of puffed pastry and brush it with egg white.

Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the dough. You can see my progression. I liked the spoon crackers best with much more seasoning, like the last image, above.

Dipped the cutter in the flour each time before cutting the dough. Each portion of Tenderflake Puffed pastry dough made exactly 22 spoons and I used 2 boxes, or 4 portions of the dough, and every time, got exactly 22 spoons with each portion.

First batch done. Last few batches, of course, have much more seasoning on them.

To avoid these little spoons puffing into delicate high morsels of pastry, read on.

Cracker Spoons: Baking them Flat

They are sitting on parchment paper and topped with it. Then, a second cookie sheet is placed over them to nestle on the top and press them flat to prevent rising.

Bake as above, with the second cookie sheet on top.

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Voilà!!!

The flattened pastry still has a small puff in the same fashion as each of the three layers in a mille-feuille. They remained firm, but still contained “a thousand leaves” of pastry to crunch through with each bite. The shards of pastry do shatter in a lovely buttery fashion but definitely hold when dipping into a spread or a dip. Isn’t that great? Slick, too, and easier than making up a big batch of dough. Delicious.

After cutting out the crackers, there is a lot of leftover dough. Buttery, puffed pastry dough. Mmmmm. Throwing it out did not cross my mind for a second. I baked it after all of the crackers were baked, and let it bloom into its full height. What a lovely treat with the soup we had for supper.

Vanja loves anything with puffed pastry.

I included the image above to illustrate the difference in the rise of the dough without being pressed with a cookie sheet on top.

Cracker Spoons: Presentations

I piped Pimento Cheese Spread on top of each spoon cracker for Amy’s Baby Showers for Heidi Marie. I used the identical recipe for the topping that was in the magazine as I discovered another blog post writing about how a gal made hundreds of them for a benefit dinner and they were a huge hit.

Marie really loved the topping, and as she is the new Grandma, and my dear childhood pal, what more could I ask? I thought it was tasty, but not memorable. The spoon crackers are memorable.

They freeze beautifully, and it is relatively easy to make a large batch of them in very little time, so nice to have on hand as a crouton for a tasty soup. The soup actually heats the cracker and eating it is like a “fresh from the oven” experience. A dollop of cheese on said crouton would be a little melty over hot soup: another novel idea. I also served them standing in a container as dippers for the spreads I had made.

Cracker Spoons: Yes, they freeze very well!

Did I say I love my little spoon cracker cookie cutter? I surely do!

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Cracker Spoons

Cracker Spoons are the perfect edible dipper at a fancy schmancy party, and easy to make, though a little time consuming, OR a jaw-dropping amuse bouche when plated and served prior to a company dinner.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Canadian

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 44 Spoons

Author Valerie Lugonja

Ingredients

Ingredients for Cracker Spoons

• 1 package Tenderflake puff pastry
• 1 egg white , beaten
• 1/2 batch Seasoned Salt Mixture (recipe below)
• Parchment paper

Ingredients for Seasoned Salt Mixture

• 1 teaspoon Hungarian Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Vegeta
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds (I used black)
• 1 teaspoon finishing salt (I used Black Hawaiian)

Instructions

Instructions for Cracker Spoons

1. Make seasoning salt mixture
2. Preheat oven to 400°F; roll one square puff pastry out to 9x9 square keeping second piece refrigerated (each square makes 22 spoons)
3. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with seasoning mix (1 teaspoon per sheet)
4. Cut dough into shapes using a teaspoon-shaped cutter; place spoons ¼ inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets
5. Top each with parchment paper; nestle a second baking sheet on top to provide weight on spoons when baking (they will be layered and crunchy, but not puffy)
6. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes; remove top pan and covering parchment
7. Bake at 400° for 2 more minutes or until lightly browned and crisp; remove to cool on a wire rack
8. Freeze in airtight container up to 3 months

!Instructions for Seasoned Salt Mixture

1. Combine all ingredients except Hawaiian sea salt; set aside until ready to use
2. Sprinkle Hawaiian Sea Salt over cracker spoons just prior to baking

Recipe Notes

These freeze beautifully so I make a double batch, or two boxes of Puff Pastry at once which will use the entire Seasoning Salt Mixture.
The recipe for the Pimento Cheese Spread is here.