CACKLING CRACKERS AND FULL MOON DIP

Halloween Recipes - Cackling Crackers and Full Moon Dip

Halloween Recipe - excerpt from the Bewitched Buffet chapter of Hungry Halloween

Homemade witch shaped crackers are served with a delicious hot chicken dip. If you've never made crackers, you will be surprised at how easy they are to make in your home kitchen. You can be creative and cut your crackers into different shapes like cats, bats, or even owls.

Ingredients:

Cackling Crackers
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, divided
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon black paste food coloring
1 tablespoon olive oil
Table salt

Full Moon Dip (Chicken Dip)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (12 oz.) can chunk chicken breast

Special Equipment Needed:
     Witch Template
     White card stock paper
     Witch shaped cookie cutters
     Hand held mixer
     9” round ramekin or pie plate

Makes 24-36 crackers depending on
size of cookie cutters

Cackling Crackers:

To Create Witch Stencil: Copy the Witch Template (page 98) increasing the size to 8” wide. Print onto a piece of card stock paper. Cut out image of witch.

Pour flour, baking powder, and kosher salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse three times. Add 6 tablespoons butter and pulse 10 times. Add milk and black paste food coloring and pulse until mixture forms a ball. If dough looks dry, add up to a tablespoon of milk.

Pour dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 10 times. Divide dough into three balls. Pour olive oil into a shallow bowl. Place dough balls into bowl and coat them in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly flour work surface. Roll dough out as thin as possible. Lay witch stencil on dough and cut out around witch. Cut remaining dough with witch shaped cookie cutters, re-rolling as needed. Place cut outs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Prick each cracker all over using a fork. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Brush crackers with butter and sprinkle salt, to taste, over tops. Bake for 8-12 minutes until crackers are crisp.

Click this link for a full size printable PDF file of the witch template.

Full Moon Dip (Chicken Dip):

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and chicken in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. Spread into an 9” round ramekin or pie plate. Bake, covered with foil, in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Top with large witch cracker and serve hot with remaining Cackling Crackers.