V-8 Veggie Crackers

Recently I have come across a couple of recipes for crackers, Ranch Crackers and Chili Cheese Crackers.  That reminded me of how easy and fun it is to make them.  Besides being fun, homemade crackers have a fresher taste and no preservative ingredients.  Many different ingredients can be added to crackers, limited only by the imagination.

I have a recipe that I clipped from Sunset magazine many, many years ago that I use as a basic recipe to make crackers.  Recently I made V-8 Veggie Crackers.  I used V-8 Vegetable Juice and ground Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix.  I whirled the soup mix in my spice grinder until it was finely ground.  I cannot buy dried mixed vegetables where I live; but, if I could, I would use 1/2 c. of that.  The crackers will be an orange-red color from the V-8 Juice.  The dough may be spiced-up with a few drops of hot sauce.

I use all white whole wheat flour, but a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour can be used.  The wheat germ can be omitted, but I use it to add extra nutrition.

Kosher salt can be sprinkled lightly on the top of the cracker dough and rolled in with a rolling pin.  I try to avoid additional salt so I don’t do this.

The crackers need to be rolled out on a cookie sheet with no sides.  If that type of pan is not available, the back of a jelly roll pan can be used, which is what I do.  The outside sections of the crackers may need to be removed before the center sections are ready.   I begin to watch the crackers carefully after about 14 minutes.

Center sections of crackers ready to be put back in the oven after the outside sections have been removed.

The crackers in the left two rows of the photo above could have been thinner.  I separated the dough in half so in the recipe below, I am suggesting the dough be separated into thirds.

Store the crackers airtight, and I think that they are better after a day or two. 

V-8 Veggie Crackers
2 c. white whole wheat flour or half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
2 T. wheat germ
1 pkg. Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix finely ground in a spice grinder
1/2 t. garlic powder (opt.)
1/3 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. V-8 Vegetable juice
several drops hot sauce (opt.)
Kosher salt (opt.)

Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together well.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add vegetable oil and juice to the dry ingredients.  Mix well until the mixture cleans the sides of the bowl.  Use your hands, if necessary.  Divide dough into thirds.  Lightly grease the back of a 10x15 jelly roll pan.  Place a ball of dough in the center of the pan.  With a rolling pin, roll dough out to edges of the pan.  Trim and patch dough to make edges even.  Dough should be less than 1/8-inch thick.  Sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt, if using, and roll in with rolling pin.  Cut into size crackers desired.  You can use a ruler to do this.  I just cut them free form.  Bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes.  Watch carefully after 14 minutes and remove outside sections if they are done before the center sections.  The crackers should be very firm when touched with a finger.  It there is any “give”, the crackers are not yet done.  Transfer to a rack to cool.  Store airtight at room temperature.  Makes about 100 crackers.

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