graham crackers two ways: honey & cinnamon

i made this graham crackers a long time ago - months ago, to be exact. and since i felt ambitious, i decided to make two different kinds and have a taste off. the winner? both. karen's honey graham crackers have the perfect amount of sweetness to them while alton's have the perfect amount of spice from the cinnamon. 

if you haven't made or eaten homemade graham crackers, they don't have much in common with their store bought mass produced counterparts. where store bought crackers are super light, these are definitely a bit more dense, almost like a cookie. and the flavor is light years better than the relatively bland ones from the store.

honey graham crackers
adapted from jam it, pickle it, cure it by karen solomon
1 hour, makes a lot (~100) of 2 inch round crackers

1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. in a food processor, pulse the flours, salt, and baking powder until combined. add the butter and pulse until the dough has course crumbs.
2. add the honey, molasses, and sugar and pulse to combine.
3. add the milk and vanilla and pulse to combine. pulse until the dough forms a ball.
4. lightly grease 2 large baking sheets. set aside.
5. cut a piece of parchment paper about 3 feet long and fold in half to make a crease. open the parchment.
6. take half of the dough and form a ball. flatten into a disc and place in the center of one half of the parchment paper. fold the parchment over and press down on the dough.
7. use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick. use cookie cutters to cut out the dough or cut into squares or rectangles. transfer to the baking sheet, leaving an inch between them.
8. prick the top of each cracker a few times with a fork.
9. repeat with the other half of the dough.
10. freeze the crackers on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. preheat your oven at 350F.
11. bake the dough for 18 to 22 minutes, less time for smaller crackers, until slightly brown at the edges.
12. cool completely and store in an airtight container. crackers can be frozen also.

cinnamon graham crackers
adapted from alton brown
1 hour

8 3/8 ounces whole wheat flour
1 7/8 ounces all-purpose flour
3 ounces dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and chilled
2 1/4 ounces molasses
1 1/2 ounces whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. place both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse to combine.
2. add the butter and pulse until the butter is very small and the mixture resembles cornmeal.
3. add the molasses, milk, and vanilla and process until the dough forms a ball.
4. turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. press the dough together into a ball, flatten into a disc, wrap in the plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. preheat your oven to 350F.
6. cut a piece of parchment paper roughly 3 feet long (eye ball it). fold in half, make a crease, and unfold.
7. unwrap the chilled dough and break in half. wrap one half back in the plastic and return to the refrigerator. place the other half of the dough centered on one side of the parchment paper.
8. fold the parchment over, so the dough is covered. roll the dough to about an eighth of an inch thick.  use cookie cutters to cut the crackers or slide the dough and parchment paper onto a sheet pan, remove the top sheet of parchment, and cut the dough into two inch square pieces. use a fork to poke holes over the top of the dough. 
9. bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack completely. when cool, break into individual crackers and store into an airtight container.