Perfected Graham cracker recipe - hobbitey recipes

This isn't a recipe intended to be an exact copy of those boxed grocery store Graham crackers, which are junk food, although I do still enjoy them from time to time, mostly when feeling nostalgic. Rather, it is my interpretation of what a Graham cracker was originally supposed to be.

Sylvester Graham was a 19th century minister and dietary reformer. He advocated vegetarianism and whole grains as the main staple food of the diet. Graham crackers were meant to be your main source of calories throughout the day on his diet. The real ones were 100% whole wheat, as these are. Honestly, I'm sure he'd be appalled at the crackers sold in the stores under his name, which contain only enough whole wheat to get by under the law.

I also like to think of them as something you'd make on a homestead after growing and milling your own wheat, or as something a hobbit would eat, down in his hobbit hole with a cuppa tea. Interestingly, it seems Tolkien had vegetarian leanings of his own. He was pen pals with Gandhi, and I can't recall any of the main characters on the good side ever eating any meat. Gollum, on the other hand, survives pretty much entirely on raw meat.

Here is the recipe, it's a pretty simple one.

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup melted)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup water

Combine well. Roll flat, about 1/4 inch thick, with an oiled rolling pin and bake for one hour at 315 Fahrenheit.

A few notes. First, most recipes you find online for these call for cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. I've left those out as I think they detract from the wholesome flavors of the whole wheat, butter and honey. Also it's impossible to get them locally sourced unless you live in the tropics. And it turns them into a sort of "healthy-tasting" imitation of gingerbread, rather than something that's wonderful in it's own right.

Second, these are very chewy, as anything made with 100% whole wheat is bound to be. You learn to like it when you eat them all the time. It's also a good workout for your jaw and can improve your facial structure over time, along with any weight loss caused by their being so very filling.

I hope you try these next time you are craving some of those overpriced junk food Graham crackers from the store. They are a bit different to the typical modern palate, but once you get used to them they're very satisfying to eat. They also stand up to being dunked in a hot beverage much better than storebought ones do. And you can make eight batches for the same price as two boxes of packaged Graham crackers. Enjoy!