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Seeded Pumpkin Crackers

By Carmen Dongo

Published on January 27, 2022

Time

2 hours, plus 5½ hours chilling and cooling

Yield

Serves 8 to 10 (Makes 50 crackers)

Seeded Pumpkin Crackers

Ingredients

1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon baharat ½ teaspoon table salt ¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon grated orange zest ⅓ cup dried apricots, chopped⅓ cup sesame seeds ⅓ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Before You Begin

The crackers will continue to crisp as they cool; cooled crackers keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. This recipe is best made in two 5½ by 3-inch loaf pans. You can use one 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan instead; bake the loaf for the same amount of time and then slice the frozen loaf down the center before slicing crosswise to achieve the right size crackers. See the Thin-Crust Pizza with Pumpkin, Cashew Ricotta, and Apple-Fennel Slaw to use up the remaining canned pumpkin.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 5½ by 3-inch loaf pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in large bowl; set aside. Combine pumpkin puree, baharat, and table salt in 10-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ¾ cup, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to medium bowl. Stir in sugar and oil and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
  2. Whisk eggs and orange zest into pumpkin mixture then fold into reserved flour mixture until combined (some small lumps of flour are OK). Fold in apricots, sesame seeds, and pistachios. Scrape batter into prepared pans, smoothing tops with rubber spatula. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking.
  3. Let loaves cool in pans on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and let cool completely on rack, about 1½ hours. Transfer cooled loaves to zipper-lock bag and freeze until firm, about three hours. (Loaves can be frozen for up to 1 month before slicing.)
  4. Heat oven to 300 degrees and line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using serrated knife, carefully slice each frozen loaf as thin as possible (about ¼ inch thick). Arrange slices in single layer on prepared sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until dark golden, 25 to 30 minutes, flipping crackers and rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let crackers cool completely, about 30 minutes. Serve.
Seeded Pumpkin Crackers
Photography by Kevin White. Styling by Chantal Lambeth.

Seeded Pumpkin Crackers

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Time

2 hours, plus 5½ hours chilling and cooling

Yield

Serves 8 to 10 (Makes 50 crackers)

Ingredients

1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon baharat
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
⅓ cup dried apricots, chopped
⅓ cup sesame seeds
⅓ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Ingredients

1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon baharat
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
⅓ cup dried apricots, chopped
⅓ cup sesame seeds
⅓ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Ingredients

1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon baharat
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
⅓ cup dried apricots, chopped
⅓ cup sesame seeds
⅓ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Why This Recipe Works

Here you'll season pumpkin puree with orange zest and baharat, a Middle Eastern and North African spice blend featuring ground red pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Once the dough comes together, fold in a blend of sesame seeds, pistachios, and dried apricots. Freezing the loaves after the first bake ensures that you can slice the crackers thin enough for the second bake. And here's a major bonus to that approach: You need only slice the number of crackers you want to serve at any given time, reserving the rest of the frozen loaves for another occasion.

Before You Begin

The crackers will continue to crisp as they cool; cooled crackers keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. This recipe is best made in two 5½ by 3-inch loaf pans. You can use one 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan instead; bake the loaf for the same amount of time and then slice the frozen loaf down the center before slicing crosswise to achieve the right size crackers. See the Thin-Crust Pizza with Pumpkin, Cashew Ricotta, and Apple-Fennel Slaw to use up the remaining canned pumpkin.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 5½ by 3-inch loaf pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in large bowl; set aside. Combine pumpkin puree, baharat, and table salt in 10-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ¾ cup, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to medium bowl. Stir in sugar and oil and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
  2. Whisk eggs and orange zest into pumpkin mixture then fold into reserved flour mixture until combined (some small lumps of flour are OK). Fold in apricots, sesame seeds, and pistachios. Scrape batter into prepared pans, smoothing tops with rubber spatula. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking.
  3. Let loaves cool in pans on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and let cool completely on rack, about 1½ hours. Transfer cooled loaves to zipper-lock bag and freeze until firm, about three hours. (Loaves can be frozen for up to 1 month before slicing.)
  4. Heat oven to 300 degrees and line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using serrated knife, carefully slice each frozen loaf as thin as possible (about ¼ inch thick). Arrange slices in single layer on prepared sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until dark golden, 25 to 30 minutes, flipping crackers and rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let crackers cool completely, about 30 minutes. Serve.

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