Ritz Cracker Knockoffs (dairy free)

Yes, I’m still trying to find something that a teething 7-month old can gnaw on. This time, instead of revisiting the graham cracker, I decided to explore other options… Ritz Crackers here I come.

The only real problem I have with Ritz Crackers is that when I read the title, I read “Ritz Carlton” and then it makes me really wish I were in San Francisco enjoying an amazing girls weekend with my sisters. Has it really been almost 5 years since our trip?  Man that was fun. If anyone has access to Ritz Carlton, Club Level accommodations (at a steep discount or FREE) let me know, I’ll see if I can take those off your hands for you. J

Ok, RITZ CRACKERS, back to RITZ CRACKERS – ugh! I’m too easily distracted.

I went with a recipe that was posted by Steph at The Cupcake Project because, according to her post, she has already done the work to find the homemade version of the recipe that tastes most like a Ritz. Since I would be making make adjustments for allergies I figured starting with something that was already close to the real thing would probably be a good idea.

These crackers don’t take forever to make and can be pulsed in a food processor to move the process along. They are flakey and crisp and have just the right amount of salt to compliment the flavor. Best part, my teething 7-month old ate them without choking. YAY. 

The downside…he may have still been allergic to something in the dough - Palm Shortening? Coconut oil? Baking powder? It’s hard to tell because we haven’t ever seen him completely relived of all symptoms. It appeared that maybe his eczema got a little worse after he ate the cracker. If anyone else is dealing with food allergies I’d gladly accept any insight as to why the ingredients may have caused a reaction.

Vegan Ritz Cracker Knockoffs

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Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

½  tsp salt

6 tbsp butter flavored palm shortening, chilled (or unsalted butter)

2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)

2/3 cup warm water

Topping (optional)

½ tsp salt

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt in the food processor.
3. Pulse to combine.
4. Add shortening and pulse to combine until dough looks like coarse sand.
5. Mix water with coconut oil, turn processor on low and add to dough. Process the dough until it begins to form a ball.
6. For a crispy cracker, roll dough out as thin as you can, 1/8-inch or thinner. 
7. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough out.  You can make them Ritz-shaped or any shape that you like. With a toothpick poke holes in the cracker so that they don’t puff when you bake them.
8. Bake the crackers on a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet for ten minutes or until the crackers just begin to brown.
9. TOPPING: While the crackers are baking, melt the remaining butter and mix in the remaining salt
10. As soon as you remove the crackers from the oven, brush them with the salty butter.
11. Let them cool on a wire rack then eat.

Source: Adapted from The Cupcake Project

Gwenevere