Rustic Oatmeal Crackers- A Glass of Wine Does Not Make a Meal...

That's a pink lady apple on the plate, 

along with a couple slices of supermarket brie.

...unless you have a cracker that is as sweet and savory and hearty and delicious as this- then add an apple and a slice of cheese, and your glass of wine- or a cup of tea- and lunch is rarely lovelier. 

During the holiday season it is a temptation to make the most lavish versions of the most lavish things. But true spoiling is in the details- it is in the most lavish version of the simplest things.

This is the first of several crackers I would like to share. They are unlike anything from a box (even a rustically elegant, very expensive box), and are the most straightforward to make (no rolling pin!).Those of you who don't live in Greece can buy good crackers (their role here is limited), but that makes homemade ones all the more special.

Here's what we'll need:

225 g/1 C butter 

200 g/ 1 C sugar 

120 g/ 1 C whole wheat pastry flour

10 ml/ 2 teaspoons salt

5 ml/ 1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in-

240 ml/ 1 C warm water

500-600 g/ 5-6 C rolled oats

Yes it does look like a quite a bit of butter and sugar, especially for a cracker. But consider it makes an astonishing large batch, and the resulting cracker has just a whisper of sweetness to underscore the natural sweetness of whole grain, and just enough butter richness to make them nice enough to eat on their own, without cheese or fruit.

Don't be tempted to switch out the butter
 for some less luscious fat-
the wholesome dairy flavor  flatters them.

Cream the butter and sugar together, blend in the flour and the salt, and add some of the oats:

then some of the water/baking soda mixture, then more oats, the rest of the water, then the rest of the oats.

It comes together quite easily- no need to overwork the dough. Pinch pieces the size of a small walnut and roll them into balls, spacing them evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

The balls of dough can be close together-
just leave enough space to flatten them.
They'll puff up a bit, but not spread.

Squash them with a small-bottomed, heavy glass:

The glass can be dipped in flour if it sticks to the dough.

A smallish glass gives us flat thin middles with thicker ragged edges- a nice look, and the part that bakes fastest is thickest as well so they bake very evenly. 

Put two sheets at once onto a moderate oven- 170 c/360 f, and switch racks after 15 minutes. they may need another ten minutes or so. they will have browned on the edges but the centers will have taken very little color. Do not bake them until they are firm to the touch, or they will be too dry. There will be a little give under the press of a finger, but that is only while they are still warm- they will crisp up into crackers as they cool.

This makes 80 very generous crackers. They are thick (for a cracker) and substantial in texture-but by no means hard, with a delicate, ideally balanced flavor. You'll be glad of the extras- a lavish version of a simple thing is perfect for sharing in a season of other less restrained pleasures.