Ferla & Pine Nut Crisps

Makes about 20 crisps.

It's easy to make these beautiful crackers and their aroma will delight. (They make a lovely hostess gift.) Serve with soft cheese and a dry white wine.  

½ cup whole wheat flour 
½ cup all-purpose flour 
4 teaspoons brown sugar
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons Ferla Spice
1 tablespoon dried currants
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease an 8½" x 4½" metal loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment that covers the bottom of the pan and extends up and over the long sides. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the pans aside. 

Put both flours, sugar, salt, soda and Ferla Spice into a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Stir in the currants and pine nuts. 

In a separate bowl, combine the oil with the buttermilk. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture — fold it in using strong, quick strokes until you have a very thick batter. Don’t over mix.

Scoop the batter into the loaf pan and even it out with a spatula. Put the pan into the oven and bake the loaf until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the loaf rest for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Let the loaf cool completely. Cut the cooled loaf into 1/8-inch thick slices, using a very sharp carving or serrated knife — take your time so that the slices don't crumble.* Lay each slice on the parchment lined baking sheet (the slices shouldn't touch each other). Reduce the oven temperature to 300º F.

Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, remove it, turn each slice over and return the sheet to the oven for another 15 minutes. The slices should be crisp with lightly browned edges (they will crisp further as they cool). If they don't seem crisp/dry enough, turn the oven off and put the baking sheet back into the oven leaving the door slightly ajar. The slices will crisp, without browning too much, from the residual oven heat. 

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

*Tip: If you have time, put the cooled loaf into the freezer for 10–15 minutes before slicing.