Gojee.com is having a potluck party. My dish is simple: Crackers and cheese. That’s it. It’s best to keep it simple, instead of introducing a complex dish. Of course, everyone’s dish is going to be superbly unique. It’s not a competition, but it’s necessary to try my best. After all, we drool and glaze at each other photographs. This time, we’re tasting the creation.

My idea starts with a simple recipe: Crackers. They literally take 30 minutes from prep to serving. That’s the same amount of time it takes to buy crackers at a store. These aren’t basic flour and butter crackers, for they’re “whatever’s in my pantry” flavor. I started by adding lemon to the basic recipe. Then I changed the recipe to include cornmeal and chili spices. Lastly, rosemary and wheat are classically paired together. I’m proud of my quick creation. However, there’s a little encouraging voice in my mind to push this plain cracker idea further.

Looking in my cabinet, I found chocolate. It’s a high-quality, bittersweet brand. Then, there are more spices: Sesame, poppy seed, and pink sea salt. Almonds were found buried in the back of the freezer. Why not treat the cracker like a cookie and dip it in chocolate and garnish is with another spice. The lemon crackers are paired with poppy seed. Using Mole, that famous savory Mexican sauce as an inspiration, cornmeal chili crackers are paired with toasted sesame. The classic rosemary and wheat crackers remain savory with toasted almonds and pink Himalayan sea salt. The process is tedious, but the results are complex, flavorful crackers. I was happy with my simple creation after taking pictures of these pretty crackers. However, it’s best to continue pushing this simple cracker idea, for it needs its traditional partner: a buttery and slightly sweet cheese.

Taking a trip to Green Provisions in Brooklyn, the lady at the cheese counter recommended two types of cheeses similar to the texture of Brie. The first one was good, but it was too mild. The second, the La Tur was tangier. It’s an Italian ripe cheese with goat, cow and sheep milk. By the time it was unwrapped at home, it was room temperature (and quite smelly). The texture became creamy. The taste was sweet without any added sugar. It had a slight herbaceous flavor. The rich, buttery and slightly sweet flavor was perfect with the bittersweet chocolate and complex flavors of the crackers.

From one simple idea, these playful crackers and cheese are eerily similar to a cheesecake without the candy bar sweet, processed junk food salty, or lactic acid creamy taste. I might ask Janelle of CorkChronicles.com to pair a wine with these specialty crackers. These are great for a homemade Valentine’s Day gift, summer picnic, or a potluck dinner with Gojee.com*.

*Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Go to gojee.com and enter “gojeepotluck” into I Crave.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.

Sweet and Savory Chocolate Dipped Crackers

Lemon Crackers

Ingredients
1-cup organic white flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. cold butter; cut into pieces
The zest of one lemon
The juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup filtered water; more as needed

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly flour a baking sheet.
2. Add flour, sea salt, butter and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the butter is just fully incorporated into the flour.
3. Add the lemon juice and water and pulse until the dough starts sticking together.
4. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll dough to about a 1/4 inch thick. Using a knife or cookie cutter, cut out desired shape. Place each piece on the baking sheet. Continue to reshape and roll out dough until there’s no more left.
5. Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes (until desired crispiness).
6. Let cool on a wire sheet.

Cornmeal Chili Crackers

Ingredients
1/2-cup organic white flour
1/2-cup ground cornmeal
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 pinches of chili flakes
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground chili
Fresh black pepper
2 tbsp. cold butter; cut into pieces
1/4 cup filtered water; more as needed

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly flour a baking sheet.
2. Add flour, sea salt, butter and spices in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the butter is just fully incorporated into the flour.
3. Add the water and pulse until the dough starts sticking together.
4. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll dough to about a 1/4 inch thick. Using a knife or cookie cutter, cut out desired shape. Place each piece on the baking sheet. Continue to reshape and roll out dough until there’s no more left.
5. Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes (until desired crispiness).
6. Let cool on a wire sheet.

Rosemary Wheat Crackers

Ingredients
1/2-cup organic white flour
1/2-cup whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp. fresh minced rosemary
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. cold butter; cut into pieces
1 tsp. molasses
1/4 cup filtered water; more as needed

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly flour a baking sheet.
2. Add both flours, rosemary, sea salt, butter in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the butter is just fully incorporated into the flour.
3. Add the molasses and water and pulse until the dough starts sticking together.
4. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll dough to about a 1/4 inch thick. Using a knife or cookie cutter, cut out desired shape. Place each piece on the baking sheet. Continue to reshape and roll out dough until there’s no more left.
5. Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes (until desired crispiness).
6. Let cool on a wire sheet.

Chocolate Dip with Garnish

Ingredients
A few ounces of bitter or milk chocolate
Garnish for Lemon Crackers: 2 tbsp. of poppy seed + 1 tbsp. sugar
Garnish for Chili Cornmeal Crackers: 2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds + 1 tbsp. sugar
Garnish for Rosemary Wheat Crackers: 2 tbsp. finely chopped toasted almonds + 1 tbsp. of Pink sea salt
La Tur cheese or a mild and sweet creamy cheese (ask your cheesemonger)

Directions
1. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt chocolate in a metal or glass bowl that fits snugly over a pot of slowly boiling water. Don’t let the water come into contact with the chocolate. Use a spatula to mix the chocolate as it melts. Once melted, remove bowl from over the pot of boiling water.
3. Dip each cracker in melted chocolate. Place on top of the baking sheet.
4. Garnish lemon cracker with poppy seed mix. Garnish Chili Cornmeal Cracker with Sesame Seed mix. Garnish Rosemary Wheat Cracker with Sea Salt Almond mix.
5. Place baking sheets into the refrigerator to solidify the chocolate.
6. Serve alone or with your favorite cheese.
7. Enjoy.

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