Happy Friday! I have sat down several times today to work on this blog post, but I seem to be struck with a case of writer’s block. It’s not that the Cook the Books Fridays recipe of the week wasn’t interesting. In fact, I found it fun to make and I enjoyed the results. I just can’t think of anything interesting to say about it…
I have generally shied away from making cracker-type recipes. They seem like a lot of work with results that just aren’t quite as good as store-bought. This might not be true, but it’s my perception. Salted Olive Crisps defied my expectations, turning out delicious crackers that were very easy to make.
The dough for Salted Olive Crisps comes together very quickly. Faster than quick bread! It is baked in a loaf pan for 30 minutes, just until the center is set. After the loaf is cool enough to handle, it is sliced as thinly as possible. The resulting slices are baked again to crisp them up.
The ingredients are a flavorful, savory mix. Whole wheat flour adds some heartiness, while herbes de Provence and dry-cured olives provide the flavor. I substituted the almonds with pistachios since I have a recently-discovered allergy to almonds.
I had a lot of fun making Salted Olive Crisps. The resulting crackers are delicious and are a nice late afternoon pick-me-up. They would be a welcome nibble with cocktails or wine at a dinner party. I did find that the crackers lost some of their crispness after the first day (that’s not stopping me from eating them), so keep that in mind if you wish to serve them to guests.
Look at that! I found something to say after all. I guess the lesson here is “just start writing”.
You can find the recipe for Salted Olive Crisps on page 42 of David Lebovitz’s book My Paris Kitchen.
Have a great weekend!
From Scratch 
These crisps are so lovely with pistachios. I thought about using pistachios except it might involve more work to deshell. The look with specks of green is so appealing. Great job!
I like the look of your crisps with pistachios added. A pretty touch, Karen. I also felt that with all the good quality crackers in the marketplace, this seems to be work I don’t need to do. Mine were delicious,however, but did not hold up the next few days even through I stored them properly. I’ve gotten some tips from you all on improving these so may give it a go again.
I like the idea of the pistachios, they look so good mixed in the batter.
I love the look of pistachios in this and already have a few ideas for changing up the flavours! Loved these even though they did not stay crisp the next day.
Yes, the pistachios is an excellent alternative to almonds (I used walnuts), the specks of green look wonderful!
Just start writing, indeed! I call it in the “Butt in Chair” problem for my students. 🙂 I really like how much the pistachios stand out in your version! (and what a bummer about the almond allergy, though I am so glad you are at least aware of what’s causing issues.) Looks great and if I make these again, I’ll have to consider pistachios!
I love the way the pistachios look, and added tinge of green. Nice!