Get into your kitchen and create these small wonders – crackers with creamy dip; a piece of bread with a bit of spice, and paper-thin crepes filled with nutty delight. These mouth-watering, bite-sized delights are so easy to prepare. Like they say, sometimes big (and delicious) things really come in small packages.
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¾ cup MAYA All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped canned pimento
1 cup grated cheese
1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño
2 tablespoons chopped Spanish chorizo
prepared cheese spread, as needed
pickled jalapeño slices, as needed
Spanish chorizo slices, as needed
Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Grease and line an 8-inch square pan. Set aside.
Sift dry ingredients together. In a bowl, beat egg lightly with a fork. Stir in water and oil. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix. Fold in pimento, cheese, jalapeño and Spanish chorizo. Transfer batter and spread evenly in the pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into circles using a 2 or 3-inch cookie cutter.
To assemble. Spread cheese on top of the bread cut-outs. Finish with a slice each of jalapeño and Spanish chorizo.
Yield: 8-10
HOTCAKE CRACKERS WITH SPINACH DIP
Hotcake Cracker Variations:
Chocolate
1 pack MAYA Chocolate Hotcake Mix 200 g
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons water
sesame seeds, as needed
Complete
1 pack MAYA Complete Hotcake Mix 200 g
1 tablespoon shortening
2-2 ½ tablespoons water
sesame seeds, as needed
Whole Wheat
1 pack MAYA Whole Wheat Hotcake Mix 200 g
1 tablespoon shortening
3 tablespoons water
sesame seeds, as needed
Spinach Dip:
1 tablespoon oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece medium-sized onion, chopped
150 grams spinach
salt and pepper, to taste
½ bar cream cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup all-purpose cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup grated parmesan
Prepare hotcake crackers. Combine hotcake mix and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening into flour mixture until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water until all flour particles are moistened and dough almost cleans the sides of the bowl. Gather dough into a ball. Roll until ¼” thick on a floured surface or between two sheets of wax paper and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut into preferred shapes and arrange on a lightly-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until done. Carefully remove from cookie sheet while still warm. Transfer to a cooling rack and store in an airtight container once cooled. Prepare crackers using different hotcake mixes in the same manner.
Prepare spinach dip. In a hot skillet with oil, sauté garlic and onion until translucent. Add spinach; season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and strain the mixture. Chop, cool and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Add in the chopped spinach and mix. Serve with hotcake crackers.
Yield: 15 – 20 servings
Crepe:
1 pack MAYA Original ‘Fluffy n’ Tasty’ Hotcake Mix 125 g
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups milk or water
2 tablespo
ons melted butter
oil, as needed for greasing
Filling:
60 grams chopped toasted walnuts
60 grams chopped toasted cashew nuts
60 grams chopped toasted pistachio nuts
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
melted butter, as needed
Syrup:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
Prepare crepe by mixing all ingredients, except oil, in a bowl until well-blended and smooth. Pour ¼ cup batter into a preheated nonstick pan or greased flat skillet. Tilt pan from side to side to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook until light golden brown. Flip the crepe carefully to cook the other side. Cool and set aside.
Combine all ingredients for the filling in a bowl. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.
Place a piece of crepe on a plate and spread a thin layer of filling on top. Fold in the ends and roll. Brush the edges with melted butter to seal. Arrange the roll-ups, with the seams down, on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Prepare syrup by combining sugar and water in a pot without stirring. Bring to a boil until amber in color. Continue cooking until the syrup reaches a thread-like consistency. Remove from heat. Cut roll-ups into bite-sized pieces and dip in syrup or drizzle top with syrup. Serve.
Yield: 9 servings