Gouda Rosemary Crackers
These buttermilk-spiked smoked Gouda & Rosemary Crackers are served in a not-so-traditional, totally-edible holiday house that is a low-sugar alternative to a traditional Gingerbread house.
About 45 minutes north of downtown Atlanta, there’s this little farm called Cagle’s Dairy. Up until a few years ago, they were a working dairy farm, with farm tours open to the public. In the fall, their farm tours also included a romp through their corn maze, culminating with s’mores and hot dogs by their bonfire. For my daughter and I, fall just wasn’t fall without a trip to Cagle’s corn maze and bonfire!
That bonfire was my favorite part. For me, a roaring fire, marshmallows, and chocolate always seem to scream out for Graham crackers, so my daughter and I would often skip the hot dogs and go straight for the s’mores. But, over the years, I have found that Graham crackers are not just good for being a vessel to get chocolate and toasted marshmallows into our bellies.
I mean, have y’all ever tried cucumber sandwiches with Graham crackers instead of bread? Just smear some dairy-free cream cheese on a Graham cracker, toss some slices of cucumber on it and voila – cucumber sandwiches with a side of crunch! Or, have y’all ever tried peanut butter and pretzels on Graham crackers? How about peanut butter and pumpkin seeds on Graham crackers?
Well – I employed all these combinations in this Honey Maid Graham Cracker Gift House. This holiday house serves as a thoughtful alternative to a traditional gingerbread house for someone who might be watching their sugar intake. And, this house also serves as an edible gift box for these gluten-free, butter-free, sugar-free, savory, smoked Gouda & Rosemary Crackers. I happened to pick up some Honey Maid graham crackers from my neighborhood grocery store, along with the rest of the supplies for this holiday gift house as well as for the Gouda & Rosemary Crackers.
To Make This
Honey Maid Graham Cracker Gift House:
• I started off by cutting diagonal pieces off a rectangular Graham cracker to make the “roof”
• Using peanut butter in a sandwich bag with the end cut off, I assembled the house by using the peanut butter as a “glue” (or as you would use royal icing while putting together a gingerbread house). I used pretzel rods of to reinforce the 4 corners where each rectangular Graham cracker (the walls) met. I also used peanut butter and larger pretzel rods to reinforce where the roof was going to be (almond butter also works well for this).
• After the walls were up, I made half the roof with an opening so the crackers could sit in it. To make the roof, I used 2 rectangular Graham crackers and the two I had cut diagonal pieces off of. I used the larger pretzel rods as support of the roof.
• I then very gently smeared dairy-free cream cheese on the two rectangular pieces of the roof and layered cucumber slices on them to represent roof shingles.
• After that, I decorated the front and sides of the house by (again very gently) smearing peanut butter on the outer walls and using this as a “mortar” for the sunflower seeds “bricks” (front of the house), the pretzel rods to mimic logs (on the side of these house) and the square pretzel windows and doors.
• I then made a “roof-top” by decorating one Graham cracker with pretzel rods and cucumbers – this can be set on top of the house after the crackers have been placed inside.
• I placed a few of pieces of waxed paper in the house to be a barrier between the peanut butter and the crackers.
• The “lights” that adorn the pathway and the pole light are actually frozen, piped, plain Greek yogurt. I made these by using a star piping nozzle to pipe little “stars” onto a waxed sheet of paper. I placed these in the freezer for about an hour as I assembled the house and then used them as “lights”. Now these pieces melt pretty quick so place them when you are ready to present this house. Also, these frozen morsels of Greek yogurt make a refreshing treat!
• I then carefully placed the Gouda & Rosemary Crackers into the house. Make sure that this house isn’t sitting around for too long as it is a bit more fragile than a gingerbread house.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour can you regular all purpose flour if you have no issues with gluten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup shredded smoked Gouda
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil not-melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 5 tablespoons buttermilk
Instructions
- Add the gluten-free flour to a bowl
- Then, using a fork, mix in / cut in the hard (not melted) coconut oil
- Then add in the buttermilk and mix till well incorporated
- Add in the smoked Gouda, the rosemary, the salt and pepper and, using you hands, mix till well incorporated
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to an hour
- Remove and place on a lightly floured surface
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Roll dough out, and using a cookie cutter, cut desired shapes out of it. Then, using a fork or toothpick make indents in center.
- Bake in oven (preheated to 400 degrees) for 15 minutes
- Let cool and then place in Honey Maid Graham cracker house to serve.
This is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen!!! You’re so creative!
Thanks so much Ashley!
Wow, I love your little cracker house… it’s awesome! You did an amazing job. 🙂 The crackers sound yummy too… I love gouda. 🙂
Thanks so much Ramona! xx
Homemade crackers are the best! These sound fantastic with the rosemary and of course the gouda! Merry Christmas Shashi!!
Thanks so much Ashley – you are spot on about homemade crackers!
I just bought some gouda cheese, omg I love the idea of crackers!!
Thanks so much Sam – happy New Year!
How clever are you? I never would have thought to make a savory house, but I’d rather dig into that any day!
🙂 Thanks so much Cynthia! This was a nice break from the traditional royal icing covered sweet house.
OMG, Shashi, this is seriously SO clever!!!! I am loving that “gingerbread house”! The house on its own is too cute, but the crackers you put in it sound amazing!! Gouda and rosemary?! YEEEEESSS! You are a creative genius, my friend! And I must try Graham cracker cucumber sammies, that actually sounds delish! Cheers, my friend!
P.S. I LOVE bonfires too! xoxo
Aww I am so honored – thank you so very much Cheyanne!
Hope you had a wonderful time ushering in 2016! xoxo
A savoury gingerbread house!??! Stuffed with crackers?!?! That totally puts all my candy-based gingerbread houses to shame! Have I mentioned before that I adore your creativity? 😉 And I’ve never tried to make my own crackers before, but it’s definitely on the to-do list. And the combination of gouda and rosemary is out.of.this.world good. Great recipe, Shashi!
Thanks so much for your incredibly kind words my Canadian friend! Happy 2016!
Cute house! I have always wanted to make my own GF crackers at home but haven’t attempted yet. Might have to give this a try! 😀
Thanks so much Lauren!!! I sure hope you do 🙂
Love that cracker house!! Happy Holidays Shashi, wish you and your family a wonderful holiday!!
Thanks so much Suzanne – wishing you and yours a wonderful, joy filled 2016 – hope we get to meet up this summer in NYC !
Dear Shashi, I cannot get over how adorable this is! I absolutely love the creativity and idea behind this…so pretty! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! xo, Catherine
Thanks so much Catherine! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and Happy 2016! xo
That’s one heck of a house! I’m so bad at gingerbread houses, though in my defense I’ve only ever made one once so… perhaps with practice I’d get better ha. Love cucumber+cream cheese, but haven’t tried it on crackers. I’ll take your word for it–it’s probably delicious!
Yes – practice definitely helps – my first one didn’t even resemble a house – more like a toga tent! GAH!!!
Happy New Year Erin and thank you! 🙂
Hahaha! I love that your gingerbread house uses cucumber slices. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Shashi! (Except maybe some beets for the door next time?) 🙂 My mom makes gingerbread houses every year using graham crackers. This post totally takes me back! But let’s talk about these crackers. I just made a batch of crackers the other day, and now I’m totally wishing I had put gouda in there. Gouda is gooood. Excellent holiday recipe, my ATL friend!
Oh shucks – beets for a door – now that’s a fantastic idea! I wish I had thought of that!!! Well next year there’s gonna have to be beets on the door! 🙂
Gouda is excellent indeed and I’m willing to bet your mom’s houses are beyond excellent!
Thanks for being such an incredibly supportive friend through 2015, David!
The house is so cute! You have a great blog, I’ll be spending a lot of my time here 🙂
Thanks so much Muna – I am so honored and humbled – thanks for commenting – happy New Year!
These sound fantastic! And that house is adorable!
Thanks so much Rachel
We have a gingerbread competition every year at our house and we always use Honey Maid 🙂 And these crackers are dynamyte!
Kristen I love the idea of a gingerbread house competition! Sounds like so much fun – I am gonna have to pitch that idea to my family!
By the way – thanks so very much!
That’s an adorable cracker house :-))
Thanks so much Angie!