Chapter 3

Crackers & Quick Breads

Cure a snack attack with these homemade munchies!

Puffy Popovers

Crunchy Tortilla Chips & Nachos

Makes 4 servings

Craving a crunchy snack? Bake up a quick batch of tortilla chips in the oven, then turn them into nachos!

Here’s What You Need

For Nachos

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Here's What You Do

  1. 1. Cut each tortilla into triangles with a pizza cutter or kitchen scissors. Or cut the tortillas into shapes with cookie cutters.
  2. 2. Spread the tortilla pieces on an ungreased baking sheet in a single layer. Use a pastry brush to coat both sides of the tortillas with oil.
  3. 3. Bake the chips for 8 to 10 minutes, turning them over halfway, until lightly browned on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and serve, or . . .
  4. 4. Leave the chips on the baking sheet when they come out of the oven and spoon on a little salsa.
  5. 5. Sprinkle the chips with grated cheese.
  6. 6. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Serve with extra salsa for dipping!
Kitchen Creativity

Pita Chips

Make crunchy pita chips instead of tortilla chips. Split a piece of pita bread in half so you have two circles. Cut them into wedges. Brush with olive oil or melted butter, and bake for 5 minutes, until lightly toasted, turning them over halfway.

Quick Croutons

Makes 2 cups

Add some crunch to an ordinary salad with this tasty toasted topping. You can bake them in an oven or a toaster oven!

Here’s What You Need

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Here's What You Do

  1. 1. Cut the bread into cubes with a serrated knife. Arrange the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet or toaster oven tray. (Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.)
  2. 2. Mix the olive oil, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. For a little extra flavor, add the dried basil and oregano.
  3. 3. Paint the olive oil mixture evenly over the bread cubes with a pastry brush.
  4. 4. Bake the croutons for 6 to 10 minutes, or until light brown.

How to Mince Garlic Cloves

Ever tried using a garlic press? It’s fun and easy to use. First pull off a clove from a head of garlic. Remove the papery skin. Place the clove in the press, and then squeeze the handles together to mince the garlic.

Puffy Popovers

Makes 12

These treats are light and airy and yummy! Bake up a batch as a quick and easy after-school snack.

Here’s What You Need

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Here's What You Do

  1. 1. Place a small pat of butter in the center of each cup in a 12-cup muffin pan. Put the pan in the oven for just a minute or two to melt the butter, and then take it out.
  2. 2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk, flour, and salt. Whisk until most of the lumps are gone.
  3. 3. Transfer the batter to a large measuring cup for easy pouring. Pour the batter into the buttered muffin pan cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
  4. 4. Bake the popovers for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy. Remove the pan from the oven. Carefully pop them out of the muffin pan with a butter knife. Eat right away! They’re extra delicious with jam and honey.

A Science Experiment You Can Eat!

Did you know that all baking is basically kitchen chemistry? Baking combines various ingredients and uses heat (and sometimes other steps, like kneading dough) to create a reaction that turns the ingredients into something different.

To make a perfect popover that’s crispy on the outside and hollow on the inside, you need a hot oven, flour, and eggs. Imagine your popover is like a hot air balloon: The shell of the balloon is made of the protein in the eggs and flour. The steam comes from the hot liquid (the milk) heating up and evaporating. As it fills with hot air, the balloon “pops over” the sides of the pan, making it a tasty chemistry experiment!

Crispy Cheese Squares

Makes about 2 dozen

If you’re a fan of cheese-flavored crackers, try making them from scratch with real shredded cheese. You may never eat them from a box again!

Here’s What You Need

Special Equipment

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Here's What You Do

  1. 1. Combine the cheese, butter chunks, flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture looks crumbly.
  2. 2. Pour the milk through the top of the food processor. Mix until the dough starts to stick together.
  3. 3. Remove the dough from the bowl, gathering the crumbs together into two balls.
  4. 4. Flatten the balls into disks between sheets of plastic wrap. Wrap them up, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes (or up to 3 days).
  5. 5. Roll the dough to 1⁄4-inch thickness. (If it’s too hard to roll, let it soften on the counter for a few minutes.)
  6. 6. Cut the dough into 1-inch squares with a knife or a pastry or pizza cutter (or cut it into shapes with a small cookie cutter).
  7. 7. Place the crackers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  8. 8. Wiggle a toothpick in the center of each square to make a hole. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until crispy. Cool on the pan for a few minutes before eating them.

Buttery Biscuits!

Makes 10–12

Biscuit dough is a little like Play-Doh. You can shape it, roll it, and cut it up into stars and hearts. Here’s a favorite recipe from the book Cooking Class.

Here’s What You Need

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Here's What You Do

  1. 1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks. Use a pastry cutter or fork to mix the butter into the dry ingredients until the dough is crumbly.
  2. 2. Pour in the milk. Stir until it forms a rough ball. You can switch to mixing with your (clean!) hands if it’s too hard to stir. The dough will be a little bit sticky, so dip your hands in flour first.
  3. 3. Transfer the dough to a countertop dusted with flour. Knead the dough a few times, then shape it into a large ball.
  4. 4. Pat the dough into a flat circle about 1⁄2 inch thick (the biscuits will double in thickness as they bake).
  5. 5. Dip a cookie cutter in flour and use it to cut out the biscuits. Place them a few inches apart on an ungreased or parchment–lined baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.