Cooking for Seven

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: : Sweet Onion Dip : :

Skip the prefab dips in the market; this cooked Vidalia dip is beyond better. The onions are subdued to begin with; cooking them concentrates their sugars for extra sweetness.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Vidalia onions (1 pound total), finely chopped
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
• Potato chips, bagel chips, or crackers, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
2. In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar, and chives; season with salt and pepper. Chill dip until slightly thickened, about 1 hour; or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve with your choice of potato chips, bagel chips, or crackers.

Makes about 2 cups

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:: Graham Crackers ::

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Adapted from King Arthur Flour

• 2 cups (8 ounces) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1/4 cup Sucanat
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey
• 2 to 3 tablespoons (1 to 1 1/2 ounces) milk (approx.)
• additional milk for glaze
• cinnamon-sugar (optional)

In a mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, sucanat, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat egg till light, then add butter, honey and 2 tablespoons milk. Stir into dry ingredients until you have a fairly stiff dough, adding additional milk if necessary. Wrap dough in waxed paper and chill until firm, about 1 hour (or longer, if it’s more convenient).

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently until it holds together. Roll dough out till it’s about 1/16-inch thick; make sure rolling surface is well-floured, or you’ll have trouble transferring crackers to baking sheet. Alternately, you can use a pasta machine to roll out your crackers. This makes the whole process a lot easier.

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cut dough into 3-inch squares, or use a cookie cutter to cut into any shape you please. Prick each square several times with a fork, and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Brush the tops with milk, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if you’re so inclined, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crackers are lightly browned. Remove crackers from oven, transfer to a wire cooling rack, and cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen graham crackers.