Passport
Baker
Team Dettweiler Family
Location
New Franken, WI
Baking Challenge
48 Crackers
Give your biscuits a name and tell us about your recipe.
Sunny Wisconsin Inspiration Crackers – All five of our cracker types were inspired by Wisconsin agricultural products. Cheese! The cow and flower shaped cheese crackers are made with wheat flour along with cheddar, parmesan and cream cheeses. The cows also have chives added. Ginseng! The graham crackers are whole wheat, flavored with ginseng root-infused maple syrup and ground ginseng sprinkled on top. And Sunflower Seeds! The two types of sunflower seed crackers are flavored with rosemary. The diamond shapes are gluten free using almond flour, and the cracker sticks are wheat dough raised with yeast.
Would you describe yourself as a rogue baker, or do you strictly adhere to the recipe?
We think of ourselves as rogue bakers. Our bakes developed while being guided by several online recipes (i.e. using one for measured ingredient amounts, here, and another for ideas in shaping, there. If there was no definite recipe for the ingredient being used, then adding, omitting or substituting is all a part of veering off course of a base recipe. We never heard of anyone using ginseng in a baked good, but some of the Wausau area websites suggested it could be done. That all of our crackers snapped, and delighted in flavor and form, is a plus in spite of our rogue-ness.
Tell us about how you added a Wisconsin twist to your creation.
Our Wisconsin twist, in part, is apparent in the art print – “Surrounded by Sunflowers” by Lowell Herrero – a Door County gift shop find. Wisconsin Milk Cows! The cows’ milk cheeses – a Natural Onion and Garlic White Cheddar for the cow crackers and a One-Year Aged Sharp Cheddar for the flower crackers – were acquired from Renard’s Cheese of Door County. Two secondary cheeses, cream cheese for the cow dough and parmesan for the flower dough, have Wisconsin origins. And Wisconsin milk cows are credited for the butter used as well. Sunflowers are blooming by acres and acres this month on Wisconsin seed farms. Perhaps the sunflower seeds used in these crackers came from one of those farms. More certainly local is the homegrown fresh rosemary used in these bakes. As another part of our Wisconsin twist … did you know Wisconsin’s Marathon County is world renowned for its ginseng production, comprising over 95% of the U.S. harvest? Ginseng root is typically used in teas and medicinal soups for its health enhancing properties, and is especially sought after by Asian countries, making it a unique Wisconsin export. (Note: American Ginseng, as with any health supplement, should be researched before consuming.) The ginseng used in these crackers came from Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises, Inc. in Wausau, WI. The maple syrup came from Loucks’ farm near Abbotsford, WI. The subtle, slightly bitter taste of ginseng actually comes through and goes well with the maple and brown sugar ingredients of this cracker. In fact, all our Wisconsin inspired crackers were tasty, which is pretty good for being the first time any of us had ever baked homemade crackers.
How did you do?
Absolutely lovely.
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