Russian Tea Cakes

If there is a top ten list of my favorite cookies in the world, the Russian Tea Cakes would be in that list.  Okay, you have probably heard these called – Mexican Wedding Cookies or Snowball Cookies. All of these have the same premise – butter, flour, nuts and powdered sugar as the primary ingredients.  I just know they melt in your mouth and it is hard to limit yourself to one or two.

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According to Wikipedia, Russian tea cakes appeared in Russia in the 18th century as a confection used in a tea-sharing ceremony. By the 20th century, they were a part of wedding and Christmas traditions in the U.S., known by their popular "Russian tea" name. Mexican Wedding Cookies, and Bizcochitos, the official cookie of the State of New Mexico, are similar except that they have the addition of anise, although, properly made, the anise flavor is very mild. Many cultures have a similar cookie. In Spain, they are called Mantecados.

I know you are probably thinking, aren't these just to be enjoyed during the holidays.  I say unequivocally – these delights should be enjoyed year round.  Why have to wait until the holidays.  Hubby adores these cookies and they are one of the most requested cookie recipes I make.  So why wait – I decided to make them now.  Enjoy!

Russian Tea Cakes 

1 C. Butter

2 t. Vanilla

½ C. Powdered sugar

½ t. Salt

2 C. Flour

1 C. Toasted and chopped pecans

1 Box powdered sugar for coating the cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In an electric mixer, add the butter and cream together.  Once fluffy, add the vanilla, salt and powdered sugar.  Cream again.  Then slowly add the flour and blend well.  Final step, add the pecans and mix.  Chill for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Form into one inch balls.  Place an inch apart on a non-stick cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until the bottom of the cookies is golden brown.  Let cool for 4 to 5 minutes.

In a large plastic bag, pour half the box of powdered sugar.  Gently add the warm cookies and work the sugar around them by gently flipping the bag around to cover.  Let sit for a few minutes and repeat the process.  Once sufficiently coated, then place onto a large plate to cool.  Best to store in a sealed container

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

Fried Chickpeas with Sautéed Garlic and Truffle Salt | Friday Night Bites

It has been a long week at work.  Busy, busy and even more busy as the week is winding down.  It is all good stuff, just not enough time in the day to accomplish all that needs to be done.  Surprisingly enough, I do believe that everything will be done – just need to have a laser focus as Friday approaches.

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Speaking of Friday, it is time for my weekly series, Friday Night Bites.  This week I have created a recipe that I have wanted to make for a long time.  All over the internet, I have been admiring these appetizers comprised of chickpeas.  They are either baked or fried, but come out with a crispy skin and often flavored with spices or herbs.

I knew that I wanted to create a simple yet flavorful chickpea recipe.  That was exactly what I did.  The combination of the sautéed garlic and the hint of truffle essence in the salt, was simply perfect.  I picked up the truffle salt from Napa Styleon a trip to Yountville one day.  It has proven to be a well used condiment in our house hold.  In fact, just might have to take another trip soon to Yountville to stock up.

I served this appetizer with a chilled Edna Valley Vineyard Chardonnay.  The richness of the Chardonnay and the creaminess of the chickpea made for a perfect pairing. This Chardonnay has hints of pear, apple, apricot and pineapple with subtle notes of clove and cinnamon.  It is a medium bodied wine with bright acidity and a long finish.

The chickpeas are a blank canvass that is begging to be painted on by way of additional flavorings.  What would flavor combination would you make with a can of chickpeas?

Fried Chickpeas with Sautéed Garlic and Truffle Salt

1 Can (15.5 oz) Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

8 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and sliced thin

Truffle Salt

Olive Oil

Drain the can of chickpeas in a strainer and rinse well with water to clean the beans.  Shake the beans to get rid as much water as possible.  Lay three or four layers of paper towel on a baking sheet and spread the beans over it.  Use another paper towel to gently absorb the water on the beans. To remove any extra skin, roll the beans around to remove.  Once they are dry, discard the skins and paper towels.

In a large skillet, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.  On medium heat, add the sliced garlic and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes until light golden brown.  Remove the garlic slices from the pan and set aside.  Next add the chickpeas to the oil and toss.  Cook on medium to medium high until they start turning a golden brown color and become a bit crisp.

Add more olive oil if required.  Add the sautéed garlic slices to the pan and toss. Season with the truffle salt and enjoy.

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits + Farmstead Restaurant in Napa Valley

In the heart of Napa Valley resides Long Meadow Ranch(LMR).  This 650-acre home ranch produces both wine and food in the Napa Valley from three different locations including the home for wine making at the 90 acre Rutherford Estate in the center of the Rutherford AVA. Among this vast estate, the destination spot is the Long Meadow Ranch Winery and the spectacular restaurant, Farmstead and the tasting room in the historic Logan-Ives House and the Farmers Market at Long Meadow Ranch. It is an impressive destination and not to be missed if you are in St. Helena and/or Napa Valley.

Yesterday we convened for our regular restaurant club get together and this month it was my turn to select our destination.  Farmstead had been on my list for a while. I was thrilled the day had finally arrived to experience this distinguished restaurant. 

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As you approach Saint Helena from Napa, it was apparent that the traffic slowed due to the popularity of the quaint wine valley town.  Farmstead is just on the other side of the train tracks and the driveway sneaks up on you to make a right hand turn. Once in the parking lot, I knew I arrived to a special location in wine country.  The rustic feel of barn yard like structures, a restored green truck from the 30’s or 40’s and the beautiful landscaping is a feast for the eyes.

My friends were already seated, since we drove separately and already ordered the famous Cheddar biscuits with honey butter.  We enjoy sharing various dishes, so we can fully experience the key items at the restaurant.  A few tasty bites and then on to the next wonderful dish is my kind of feasting.  I ordered a glass of 2008 Abiouness “Pommard Clone” Pinot Noir from the Carneros region.  It was an absolutely stunning glass of wine with the pure elements of an awarding winning Pinot Noir.

We ordered the special of the day, Grilled asparagus with LMR egg and ham.  The perfectly cooked egg added additional richness to this perfect started.  Next to arrive was the two salads - Caramelized beets with sky hill goat cheese cream, greens and Chimichurri and Salad of lacinato kale with chili pequin, lemon dressing and toasted parmesan. Both salads busted with flavor and each plate was wiped clean.

After our salad courses, it was time for the hearty main dishes that included - LMR meatballs with caramelized root vegetables and tomato marmalade, Potato gnocchi with LMR beef ragu, herbs & parmesan and Wood grilled heritage pork chop with broccoli rabe, jalapeno grits and apple-onion jam.  All three were simply divine and cooked perfectly.  The combinations of flavors were mouth watering.

We certainly could not end this wonderful lunch without a bit of dessert.  So many amazing choices but at the end, we selected the Scharffenberger chocolate cream pie with graham cracker crust and whipped cream.  This is a signature dessert at Farmstead.  The graham cracker crust was the show stealer in my opinion.  I could have just eaten that and minus the chocolate and whipped cream.  It was that good!

We left fully satisfied and loving every aspect of this lunch.  We did a bit of shopping in downtown Saint Helena and found wonderful items at Toss Designs.  If you have not visited a Toss store, you are in for a treat.  The burning question is – which restaurant do we go to next?

The Cheddar Cheese Biscuits were outstanding and a true masterpiece.  I knew that I needed to develop the recipe at home and recreate these delicious bites of heaven.  My version is extremely close to what we enjoyed at Farmstead.  Enjoy!

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

Makes 12 biscuits

4 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons shortening

2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 Cup cheddar cheese, grated and packed

¼ Cup cheddar cheese, grated for top of biscuits

1 Cup Buttermilk

In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Mix together.  Next add the butter and shortening and use a pastry cutter to incorporate into dry mixture until size of small peas.  Add 1/3 cup of grated cheddar cheese and mix.  Add the buttermilk and stir well with a spoon.  Dough will be sticky.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Use an ice cream scoop and place onto a non-stick cookie sheet.  Keep at least 1 inch apart.  Top each biscuit with about a teaspoon of grated cheese.  Bake for 14 minutes.  Turn off oven and put the broiler on high.  Once heated, add the cookie sheet under the broiler for 30 to 60 seconds until cheese is browning and bubbly.  Remove to cool or serve warm.

Port Infused Fig Blue Cheese Crostini | Friday Night Bites

I am obsessed with Crostinis! They are like a blank canvass begging to be painted on.  A great crostini can be your own "Mona Lisa".  Okay, I might be a bit dramatic, but you are picking up what I am putting down.  Smile.

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The flavor combinations are endless. You can get creative or stay simple.  You can brush with olive oil or simply toast them.  The secret to a great crostini is the bread.  I am in love with Semifreddi, ACME and Labrea Baking.  There is nothing better than fresh baked bread with a crunchy outside and delicious chewy inside that is rich with flavor.

With my other obsession, Fig Jam, I knew that I needed to create a fig inspired masterpiece.  In the fall, I canned about 60 half pints of Balsamic Fig Jam, so that I could enjoy it year round and give away as gifts.  Since fresh figs are unfortunately not in season right now, the next best thing is the dried version.  Luckily for me, they are available at Trader Joes year round in the dried variety.  To "plump" them up I cooked them in some port wine.  The port reduces and becomes sweet along with infusing in the dried figs.  The result is pure dedadence.  Would love to hear about your "crostini masterpiece" !!

Port Infused Fig Blue Cheese Crostini

Baguette

Point Reyes Blue Cheese

Dried Figs. sliced in half and remove stem

Port

Fig Jam (Homemade or Store Bought)

Walnuts, toasted

This is a very easy and loose recipe.  Slice the baguette to the desired number of crostinis and brush with olive oil.  Toast in the oven under the broiler until light brown on each side.  Let cool.

In a small sauce pan, add the desired amount of dried figs, use one to two halves per crostini.  Pour enough port to almost cover the figs.  About 1/2 cup for 20 figs.  Cook on medium until almost all of the port has infused the figs.  Let cool.

To assemble, spread blue cheese onto the crostini then a bit of fig jam.  Next place one to two of the port infused figs and adorn with a few toasted walnuts.  Enjoy.

Brown Sugar Cookies | Secret Recipe Club

I love brown sugar. When used to make cookies, it elevates the flavor to the next level. This month for the Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Carrie’s SweetLife.  Carrie’s philosophy for her blog is to create and share simple comforting food that puts a smile on anyone’s face that has the pleasure of eating it.  I can relate to her thought process.

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Carrie lives in the Twin Cities with her hubby Adam and her two daughters Maddy and Hanna.  Peanut the chi-rat terrier is the family dog.  From her blog, you certainly gain the sense that they practice traditional family values and enjoying spending time with their family.  While browsing her blog, my mouth began to water with the vast array of tasty treats she shares.  Her selection of cookie recipes intrigued me.  One in particular; her Brown SugarCookie - as I stated earlier, I love brown sugar.

The recipe could not be more straightforward with simple ingredients.  I always like to add my own touches to recipes.  I pondered on what I could do to kick it up a notch and make it my own.  Should I add chocolate chips?  Dip in chocolate?  Then it came to me – add toffee bits.  It would compliment this delightful cookie along with enhancing the flavor.  The result was pure heaven – I mean pure heaven. These are among some of the BEST cookies I have made in a long time.  I finally had to put them into sealed containers, so I would not eat anymore.  I also jumped on the treadmill for 30 minutes to attempt to burn off the 3 or 4 cookies I ate prior to taking my photos.

If you have not heard about the Secret Recipe Club and would like to learn more about joining in the fun, simply click here to learn more.  If you want to discover new blogs, make new friends and find new recipes, this is the online cooking club for you.

Brown Sugar Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies

½ Cup Shortening

½ Cup Butter

1 ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, packed

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 Cups Flour

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Toffee Bits

Heat oven to 350 Degrees.

Using a stand mixer, beat together the shortening, butter and brown sugar until creamy.  Add the egg and mix well.  Next add the baking soda, vanilla and salt and mix.  Slowly incorporate the flour until combined.  Finally add the toffee bits and mix. 

Use a small, one inch ice cream scoop to form the cookie dough.  Place 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove to cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.

Italian Butterhorn Cookies

Several weeks ago I took a short road trip up to Napa.  Luckily for me, it is only about an hours drive from my house.  I ventured to attend Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil’s new book tour.  I initially met Lindsay virtually from an online program titled “adopt a blogger”.  The premise was to match a veteran and newbie blogger together.  The veteran would mentor the newbie, to impart their knowledge and experiences.  Lindsay had given great advice and was always available, should I have a question or need.

I was elated to finally meet Lindsay in person along with her hubby Taylor.  She is as lovely as she appears on her blog and could not be nicer.  I am thrilled for all of her success and wish her all the best with her future endeavors.  She has a fan for life with me and I can’t wait to make some of her delicious recipes from her new book – “Breakfast for Dinner”.  Okay cleaver concept, huh?

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While on my road trip, I stopped at Napa Style to see if I might find a few blog props and other interesting goodies.  My stop did not produce any blog props but rather some great food and wine.  A lovely lady named Christine was in the store and sharing samples of her Italian Butterhorn cookies.  I could not resist accepting a taste. Okay – I was in heaven.  They were light, flaky, full of cinnamon flavor and simply divine.  It was not hard for her to convince me to pick up a bag of these delights. I had asked her if there was cream cheese in them and she replied with – no sour cream.  I was thankful for the clue.

When I got home, hubby has to indulge.  He was as enamored as I was.  Let’s just say the bag of Cici’s ItalianButterhorn Cookies did not last long in our house.  Of course, you know where I am going with this – I had to produce these at home.  After a bit of research and refinement, the end result was a simply delectable cookie.

Italian Butterhorn Cookies

Makes 32 cookies

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Butter (2 sticks)

¾ Cup Sour Cream

½ Teaspoon Salt

2 Eggs

½ Cup Walnuts, finely chopped

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

In a stand mixer, add the butter and ½ Cup sugar, egg yolk and cream together.  Set aside the egg white to use later. Add the sour cream, salt and cream until smooth.  Next add the flour slowly until incorporated. 

Shape the mixture into a ball and wrap in plastic and chill for one hour or until firm. 

In a small bowl add the walnuts, the other ½ cup sugar and cinnamon.  Stir and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Divide the dough into 4 parts.  Roll out one part to 1/8^th inch thick and about 10 inches in diameter.  Use a generous amount of flour on your board to prevent sticking. Brush dough with egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon, walnut and sugar mixture.  Cut into 8 equal parts.  Begin rolling at the curved edge and place cookies point side down about 2 inches apart.  In a small bowl beat the other egg and brush on top of each cookie and sprinkle with a bit of the cinnamon sugar.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.

Spaghetti Fritters with Arugula and Walnut Pesto | Friday Night Bites

I adore Oprah.  She is someone who is insightful, inspirational, a thought leader, motivator and role model.  Her positive influence has reached all ends of the earth.  With the ending of her daily talk show and the emergence of her OWN network, her positive impact continues to inspire people.  I love learning and growing.  Oprah’s Master Class series along with Life Lessons are among my favorite shows on her network. 

Over the weekend, I sat down to watch the Master Class episode with Cindy Crawford and it was such an authentic view into her life experiences, thoughts and lessons she has learned.  I identified with many of her insights especially about marriage and to root your love in friendship.  My hubby is truly my best friend. 

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Her comment to be present each day resonated with me.  When I was nineteen years old, I was hit head on by a drunk driver and needless to say, I almost literally died that night due to some complications along with breaking both femurs.  That life changing experience provided a different lens for me to look through. Each day is a gift.  Think positively. Make a difference. Find your passion. Be confident. Give. Cherish your significant other, friends and family. Appreciate yourself. Live each day to the fullest!

It was inspiring to watch Cindy’s journey to really being comfortable in her own skin.  I identified with her completely.  As each year passes, I am more and more comfortable in my own skin and that is when life gets even better.  Writing this blog has been an evolution for me and positive in so many ways.  I found a passion and executed on it.  Who knows where it will take me, but that is half the fun of the journey. What is your passion?  Are you making it happen?  If not, go for it!  You have nothing to lose and all to gain.  Take chances and risks.  It sounds cliche, but life does go by quickly and you can't repeat it, so live it to the fullest.

If you have been a reader or follower of my blog, you know that I have a passion for appetizers.  Thus the evolution of my Friday Night Bite series was created.  This week I was inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Spaghetti Fritters.  They are tasty on their own, but with a dab of handmade Arugula and Walnut Pesto, it is simply elevated to the next level.  It is a simple appetizer that would pair perfectly with a great Italian red wine.  Manja! Manja!

Spaghetti Fritters

3 oz. Spaghetti, broken in half

1 egg

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

5 Scallions, trimmed and minced, white and green

1 ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 teaspoon Dried Red Chili Flakes

1/3 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese + additional for sprinkling

Zest of half lemon

8 to 10 Grinds Pepper

½ teaspoon Salt

Oil for pan frying

Boil the pasta in salted water for about 8 to 10 minutes.  While the pasta is boiling, crack the egg into a large bowl and whisk.  Add the garlic, scallions, oregano, chili flakes, parmesan cheese, and lemon zest and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Drain the pasta well and add to the mixture.  Stir well to ensure all pasta is coated well.  Pour two tablespoons of oil in a skillet and heat it on medium.  Use a fork or your fingers to place about a couple tablespoons of the pasta onto the pan.  Slightly swirl the pasta to form a flat circle.  Fry it on medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side.  Once done cooking, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Serve hot.

Arugula and Walnut Pesto

4 Cups Arugula leave, packed

1 Cup Shelled walnuts, lightly toasted

1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

10 Garlic cloves, peeled and rough chop

1 teaspoon salt

Cracked black pepper to taste

Over medium heat, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and lightly sauté the garlic cloves for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a food processor, combine the Arugula, walnuts, sautéed garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Process until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.

Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts with Salted Caramel Sauce

Chocolate and caramel are a marriage made in heaven.  When this month’s theme for the Chocolate Party was official, it brought a large smile to my face.  The idea of blending chocolate and caramel into some type of confectionery delight was simply magical.  The variations spun through my head like a high speed car chase – the possibilities were endless.

I finally came to a resolve.  Since my hubby is obsessed with donut holes, I knew my decision was final.  I found a recipe for Chocolate Caramel donuts from Martha Stewart.  The only problem was two-fold:  I did not have those store bought soft caramel squares plus I am quite frankly not a fan of them.  I still wanted to surprise my hubby with some homemade donut holes.  Then it came to me, why not make some of my delicious Salted Caramel Sauce to dip or drizzle the chocolate donuts with.

The result was a pure sensation of the marriage between chocolate and caramel.  What a perfect dessert to enjoy while watching your favorite movie or at your next dinner party.  If you would like to learn more about joining in the Chocolate Party fun and seeing what fun combination is up for next month, simply click here to learn more.

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Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts with Salted Caramel Sauce

Makes 8 dozen

Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts

2 ½ Cups Flour

1 Cup Cocoa powder

2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 Cup Sugar + more for coating

¾ Cup Buttermilk

4 Tablespoon butter, melted

2 Large eggs

5 to 6 Cups Vegetable Oil for frying

In a stand mixer, add the buttermilk and sugar and mix well.  Next add the eggs and mix.  Add to this, the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.  Add the melted butter and mix.  Finally slowly add the flour until all combined and mixture is well blended.

Use a teaspoon to extract the dough to form a ¾ inch ball.  Set aside until ready to fry in the oil.  Line a baking sheet with paper towel.  Fill a wide shallow bowl full of sugar.  In a large heavy pot, heat 4 inches oil until it reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Fry in small batches, about 2 to 3 minutes for each batch and flip the donuts once during the cooking process. Let rest about 4 minutes after they are removed from the oil before rolling in the sugar. 

Salted Caramel Sauce

1 ½ C. sugar 
¼ C. water
½ t. lemon juice
1 C. heavy cream

2 t. Grey Salt

Stir sugar, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat; boil without stirring until the mixture turns deep amber brown. This should take about 9 minutes. Take off the stove and hold over the sink before pouring the cream mixture into the sugar mixture. It will boil and bubble. Once calmed down, add grey salt and set back on the burner and reduce slightly over medium low heat for about 8 minutes. Chill until thickened. Put into another container and slightly heat when ready to use.

Gruyere and Cayenne Crackers | Friday Night Bites

My addiction with homemade crackers continues. As a kid, and still today, I love the traditional “cheez-its” cracker. That perfect square shape with ruffled edges and the tiny dot imprint in the center has a certain appeal.  Perhaps, it is since they are incredibly easy to eat and snack on. Since the cheddar variety is the most traditional flavor, I thought I would mix it up and put my own spin on this iconic cracker. After much internal debate, I came up with Gruyere cheese and cayenne - a little spice along with the rich nutty cheese flavor; simply perfect for our Friday night bites.

It doesn't feel much like winter here in the bay area. We did experience a fairly vigorous rainstorm on Tuesday night which awakened me during the middle of the night. The weather man is predicting that we will have sunshine and warm weather over the weekend. I wish winter would happen here in the bay area since we definitely need the rain. I was certainly hoping the rain would continue through the weekend especially for our traditional Friday night bite celebration.  A cozy fire along with the sound of rain hitting the windows sets the tone for a perfect winter Friday night.

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We are preparing for a system conversion in a few months at work.  This is going to be a fairly dramatic change for numerous folks at my company however it will provide most robust functionality, productivity, reporting and a better user interface and experience.  With the impending positive change, we are preparing our outside sales folks with tools to make their jobs streamlined.  One such tool, well smart phone app is “Dictation Dragon”.  Now my sales folks can be out in the field and simply record the results and next steps of each sales call, email it to themselves and input into our CRM.

It got me thinking, how can I streamline and use my time wiser when I am blogging.  I actually used this app to write this post.  It was so cool.  I am sure that all of you can find numerous uses for saving you time.

Would love to hear from all of you what imaginative flavored crackers you might want to see for future Friday Night Bites posts. Look forward to hearing all of your creative ideas. 

Gruyere and Cayenne Crackers

1 ½ Cups (6 oz) Gruyere Cheese

4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into 6 pieces

¾ Cup Flour, plus additional for dusting

½ teaspoon Salt

¼ to ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, depending on how spicy you like it

2 Tablespoons Half and Half

In a food processor, combine the butter, gruyere and pulse until combined.  Next add the cayenne, salt and flour and pulse until the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Add the half-and-half and process until the dough forms a ball.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a large board and lay plastic wrap on top, lightly flour the dough and  roll the dough into a 13 by 8-inch rectangle that is 1/16^th inch thick.  With a pastry wheel, trim off the sides into a 12 by 7 inch rectangle.  Cut the dough into 1 by 1 inch squares using a ravioli cutter to achieve the ruffled edges.  Use the blunt end of a skewer to make a hole in each cracker.  Transfer the crackers to a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt if desired.

Bake the crackers on the middle rack for 10 to 11 minutes, or until they are barely browned.  Remove and let entire baking sheet rest on a wire rack to cool. 

Serve at room temperature and store in an airtight container.