I like graham cracker crusts a lot; when I make graham crackers, however, they tend to get eaten, rather than turned into a crust. Plus, for those of us who depend on making our own graham crackers, it means an entire day devoted to making the crackers, crumbling them up, then fashioning them into a crust. So I decided to take my favorite recipe for graham crackers, change the preparation method a bit, and turn it into tart dough/pie crust. You might be surprised to find that the molasses kissed dough compliments a whole host of fillings, not just the classic array of ‘cream’ pies.




Thus far, I’ve used this dough for countless graham crackers, lemon custard pie, Bakewell tart (more on my love for that, coming soon), pecan pie, and coconut cream pie. It would also make an appealing cheesecake crust, and would favorably accompany a host of fruit. Right now, I am especially eager to try some sort of chocolate combination, and am debating between Smitten’s S’more Pie, and Dorie’s Chocolate Tart.



This dough is super for making graham crackers, too. They have a nice crunch, with a warm burst of caramel, and the slightest crumb. Oh, and, did I mention how good they are dipped in chocolate? Last winter, I doubled the molasses content, added a generous amount of fresh ginger, and made gingerbread creatures. This is a dough with options, people.

As usual, this recipe stems from many wonderful sources: I started with Rebecca Reilly’s fabulous recipe for graham crackers, and made a few changes. I then studied up on tart dough over at Smitten Kitchen, who tested out Dorie’s tart dough recipe. Finally, a few tweaks later, crust! Furthermore, if you are not gluten-free, Smitten Kitchen posted a recipe for graham crackers that could probably be turned into tart dough without much trouble! Check it, here.

Graham Cracker Tart Dough

Adapted from Rebecca Reilly by The Cinnamon Quill

Makes two 8-inch crusts, one 10-12 inch crust + a few crackers, OR a few trays of crackers.

• 1 cup Featherlight Flour blend (see below)

• 1 cup finely ground brown rice flour

• 1/4 cup soy or sorghum flour (or millet or quinoa flour)

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 7 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 2-4 tablespoons cold water

• 3 tablespoons honey or agave

• 1-1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

• 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract/flavoring

• Extra brown sugar/flour for rolling

• Optional spices: 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2-1 teaspoon ginger, pinch cloves

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter and incorporate with a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the water, the honey/agave, molasses, vanilla, and spices if using. Dough should come together in a ball. If it seems dry, add 1-2 tablespoons more water. Dough should not be sticky, but pliable like play-doh. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Spread out a piece of freezer paper (or parchment, or silpat), and have about 1/4 cup of brown sugar/flour mix handy for rolling. Divide the dough into two pieces, or 2/3 and 1/3 if you are using a larger pan.

Spray chosen pan(s) lightly with oil. If you are making all crackers, line a baking sheet with parchment.

Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness*, to size of your chosen pan(s). Place dough carefully into pans (either use a scraper to pick it up, or flip the entire thing into the pan, using the paper). If you are not making a ‘no-bake’ pie, I don’t suggest a decorative pinched edge as I’ve found it to burn during the second round of baking (Yes, even when using my beloved pie crust cover.). Trim the excess so it is tight with the edge of the pan. Pierce crust evenly with fork.

Roll out the leftover dough (or all of it) for graham crackers. Roll to 1/8 inch thick, then cut into shapes using a knife or shaped cutters. Pierce pieces with a fork. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes at 350F. Crackers will ‘crisp’ as they cool.

Back to the pie/tarts; here is where the Smitten genius comes into play: freeze the crust(s) for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Now, a note about oven temps, if you feel like everything cooks (and burns) very quickly in your oven, lower it to 325F. You may end up baking the crust(s) longer, but better that than a wronged crust. After dough has frozen, butter a pan-sized piece of aluminum foil, then press it tightly against the frozen crust. Place pan(s) on a cookie sheet and bake. After 20-25 minutes, remove foil. If crust has ‘puffed’ in any places, press it down gently. If you want a par-baked crust, stop here, and let crust(s) cool completely before proceeding with your filling recipe. For fully-cooked crust, return crust(s) to oven and bake 8-10 minutes more. Crust will still be soft, but should be a slightly darker shade than it was prior to baking. Let crust cool completely; as it cools, it will ‘crisp’.

Once crust has cooled completely, I’ve been able to remove it, even from a pie tin. I used a knife to cut through any edge pieces that are stuck, then lifted the crust out. Try it, if desired. I’ve also had success using a springform pan, pressing the dough about a third of the way up the sides. It is a good alternative if you don’t have a tart pan.

*Notes:

• Flour Mix
  (Derived from Bette Hagman’s Featherlight Flour Mix)
  1 cup brown rice flour (I suggest against using white)
  1 cup corn starch
  1 cup tapioca starch
  3 tablespoons potato flour (not starch)
• While I use the Featherlight Flour Mix variation above, an alternate GF flour mix will probably work just as well.
• I generally shy far away from using soy flour, but here I think it adds a nice ‘graham’ flavor. I’ve used sorghum in its place, with no complaints.
• Oat flour may be nice in place of the quinoa/soy flour.
• If you would like a thicker crust, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. It may take longer to bake, and ‘puff’ a bit more during baking, but the adjustment is worth it if you prefer a thicker crust.
• For more photos featuring this crust, check out my set on FlickR.

Which graham-cracker-encrusted desserts do you fancy?

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