Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year: Week 18

The recipe for Beck’s Crackers came to me as quite a surprise. My first surprise was the concept of dressing up Saltine crackers as a dish to serve, while the second was how exactly they were made. I had been expecting to toast the saltines, so I was intrigued when Joanna’s instructions stated that the herbs and oil would simply soak into the crackers over 24 hours. I thought this surely would make the crackers soggy, but to my third surprise, they are delicious! Flavorful and crunchy with a lingering spicy taste, Beck’s Crackers are most certainly a unique combination. Wonderful for an afternoon snack or to be served with a dip, these crackers provide the perfect little salty treat that are very easy to make while packing a flavorful punch.

Crowd Average Rating:

With ratings ranging from a 5 to a 7, Beck’s Crackers gained an average rating of a 6. While not a recipe that people talk about for hours, they are a pleasant twist on a traditional Saltine Cracker. To their benefit, I would say that this recipe is extremely easy to put together, which makes them a wonderful choice as a snack for a large crowd. On the flip side however, the touch of spice did take me by surprise and perhaps would turn off those who are not as interested in spicy foods. If you do not prefer the spice however, you certainly could reduce the amount of or eliminate the crushed red pepper flakes all together.

As chocolate and orange flavors seem to call to one another, I was excited to try this recipe. Unlike some of the other bread pudding recipes tried throughout this cookbook, the Chocolate Orange Bread Pudding is a delicious dish with a variety of textures and flavors at play. The addition of the crunchy Candied Pecans (recipe review below) wonderfully balances the soft interior of the bread pudding, while the chocolate and orange flavors play off one another in each bite. Simple to construct and tasty even when reheated, this dessert will feed a crowd and leave them quite satisfied.

Crowd Average Rating:

Gaining a slightly higher average than Beck’s Crackers, the Chocolate Orange Bread Pudding gained an average rating of a 7! To my happy surprise, the texture of this bread pudding was quite nice, while the chocolate added the touch of sweet richness that one craves in a warm dessert. Similarly, I found that the whipped cream can be substituted for vanilla ice cream and that this combination pairs wonderfully well also.

Much like Joanna’s recipe for Buttered Walnuts / Pecans (see week 14 for review!), these Candied Pecans are simple to make and wonderfully delicious. Not overly sweet, these pecans are crunchy, toasted and slightly addicting. The combination of sweet and nutty makes this recipe perfect for adorning a dessert, like the bread pudding above, or even would be delicious upon a salad.

Crowd Average Rating:

As the highest rated item this week, the Candied Pecans came in with an average rating of a 7.5! While I do not have many suggestions to improve upon this dish, I would note that when spreading the nuts to cool on the parchment paper, try to spread them thinly, as they can be hard to separate without breaking once cooled. I found that the larger clumps not only stuck to one another, but also to the parchment paper, so next time I make these, I will try to spread them out more thoroughly to allow them to harden separately for easy use and clean up.

• Eggs
• Heavy cream
• Garlic powder
• Sweet paprika
• Salt
• Ground white pepper
• White cheddar cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Gruyere cheese

• Pie crust
• Chives
• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Sour cream
• Sugar
• Orange zest
• Butter
• Powdered sugar

• Orange juice
• Vanilla
• Maple syrup
• Bacon
• Brown sugar
• White vinegar
• Mayonnaise
• Dill relish
• Fresh dill
• Mustard powder