Isabelle's crackers (raincoast style)

Ingredients

dough

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup

Topping

½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1 cup dried cranberries or sultanas
1 cup whole pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts
3/4 cup whole or chopped dried figs or dried apricots

For the filling, you can choose from the list above and vary the quantities or elements as long as you add a total of 1 cup of seeds, 1 cup of nuts and 3/4 cup of dried fruit to the batter, including the decorative fruit that is added directly to the pan.

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar and honey. Mix well. Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the whole dried fruits (figs and apricots).
Pour into two long, narrow, buttered and floured baking tins. A loaf tin will do, but do not fill more than 2" high.
Add the whole dried fruits to the batter, arranging them evenly.
Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out dry.
Unmould and leave to cool.
Slice very thinly with a sharp knife and arrange on a baking sheet.
Hold the cake firmly to make slicing easier, as you will need to slice the nuts and dried fruit inside.
To make this step easier, you can place the cake in the fridge or even the freezer for 30 minutes. The colder the bread, the easier it is to cut.
Bake at 300°F until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Turn the crackers over and bake for another 15 minutes. The time may vary depending on the thickness of the slices. The crackers will still be tender when they come out of the oven, but will become brittle as they cool.

Preparation

25 minutes

Cooking

40 minutes

Servings

60 to 70 crackers