I know I always say I am honored and flattered to be asked for a guest post. It’s true, though, and one of my favorite aspects of blogging. This time is no different, and special because not only do I admire Leanne in many ways, she told me she likes my approach and mentioned something about ‘natural talents.’
Giddy, I tell you. This is what I blog for!
Another fun part of blogging – of cooking and creating – the fun kitchen tools I find to play with. I used these cookie cutters to cut these crackers. I love them – they are so fun. The kit includes three shapes, multiples of alphabet letters, and some word phrases (happy birthday, congratulations).
I wanted to come up with something that fits Leanne and her food tastes. She likes to use fruit as a natural sweetener, she loves crackers, so this is my creation for her!
The date dip is something I make all the time, and pairs nicely with them.
Please go visit Leanne and her fabulous blog, check out the cracker and dip recipes, stick around and say hello!
What’s your favorite cracker topping?
Happy Friday!
{ 81 comments… read them below or add one }
That flavor combination sounds fantastic, and the cut-outs are so cute!
thank you, Alayna – they were fun to make.
Fabulous looking crackers, I love the cut-outs! Mmm, isn’t blackberry season the best?!
hi Kelsey! yes, I am really loving both black AND raspberries this year – so very good! I’ll miss them when they’re gone, I have developed a flat – a – week habit
I commented over there…they look…amazing!
thank you, Averie!
hope you have a great weekend – I’ll not have much time to follow along, but I’ll catch up after the conference! 
It all looks so good, especially the date dip! I could see me eating a lot of that. Thanks again Kristina
One of these days we’ll have to get together and sip on smoothies and chow down on crackers.
I’m off to the lake for the day! Have an amazing weekend
YOU have a great weekend, too, Leanne! I’m one day in to Vida Vegan and we are having F U N !
these look amazing! I love that your blog name is on them! How cool!!!
Happy Weekend! Have fun this weekend too, I cant wait to see what swag you get!
xoxo <3
hee – it’s been a B L A S T so far!! I’ll recap soon!
The letter are SO cool! I tried making crackers the other day… epic failure! Your recipe looks really easy though! And I also am a fan of natural sweeteners like bananas and dates so I love the look of the dip so much.
oooh, this dip is amazing! sorry your crackers didn’t turn out – they are SO difficult for me, too. I have made the same recipe several times, they turn out different EVERY time. weird. (I’m wondering if the WEATHER makes a difference!?)
Kristina these look adorable — and I love those cookie cutters! How cute! at first I was wondering how on earth you carved out Spabettie!
I like PB on crackers, but I mostly like them for dipping in bowls of soup!
mmm, crackers in soup, YES!
Those crackers are absolutely adorable! What a fun hostess gift to give to someone – with their name in the crackers, of course.
yes, it’s so fun to make these for people – it’s always a big hit!
OMG love that cutter! How fun.
Love the cutters. So adorable! Makes it look like it’s time to start the Spabetti brand of crackers!
YES!! I have always wanted to open a bakery…
Those are too cute! I do hummus or plain…or preserves or …. hmmm…peanut butter. Dang, I’m hungry!
ha… so, depends on your mood, huh?
As always, looks delish!
thank you, Stefani!
This looks so amazing! For toppings…I’m a sucker for cashew cream if it’s a sweet thing or cheesy cashew sauce if it’s more savory!
Mmm, yep, I love cashew based sauces – because they are so versatile and can go sweet or savory!
Kris you are awesome, no wonder people want you on their blogs. These are so whimsical and fun, and sound yummy!!!
aw, you’re sweet.
the crackers were fun to make!
They have “Spabettie” cut into them!
Hm, I actually don’t eat crackers. I even didn’t when I still ate grains. So I never thought about what I’d put on crackers.
But I can do now! (This is like going shopping with a friend and trying to find something according to her taste. It’s fun! 
)
I think we’d need a blender for this …
So, I can imagine it would be great to make a fig spread … figs (fresh or dried), either cream cheese or cashews and some water for a vegan version, and then either cardamom to make it sweeter, or garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice for a heartier variety.
Or some kind of pesto-flavored thing, but more of the consistency of nut butter: pine nuts (expensive!
), sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, a bit of olive oil.
Or this: avocado, lime juice, fresh parsley (or cilantro, but not for you
), finely chopped tomatoes.
Or a kind of salsa: finely chopped nectarines (or mango, or papaya …) and shallots, Thai basil or fresh mint, lime juice, ginger, lemon grass.
I like composing flavors in my mind.
Did I give you an appetite for some of the mental concoctions above?
Mmm, all of these sound amazing! I make a fig “spread” – I love figs. I love salsa with mango, I’ve never had it with nectarines, that would be tasty, and I love shallots. Great composing, my friend – I am hungry now!
I love those cutters, I may have to get some (and then learn to roll cookies)
these look SO GOOD, and your picture beautiful as always!!!
thank you, Jenny! the cutters are fun!
Seriously?! someone beat me to nab you as a guest poster?! Well, I shouldn’t be surprised since you reek fabulousity. I suppose I just need to accept the fact that I can’t hog your brilliance to myself!
well, YEAH.
did you get my email, by the way? I should have gone FIRST because everyone has been spectacularly awesome.
Oh
It was on a pizza!
My
God
Spabettie Crackers
I can not TELL you how fabulous that is – oh wait – I think you know.
I do believe that everything is PERFECT in the world right now.
Clicky clicky off to Leanne’s lair.
And – I’ve never had a date (like that). BUT I did have a fig the other night – you would have been proud
Mmm, fig on a pizza! I can imagine… did it also have prosciutto, and maybe a tangy cheese like goat or feta??
good for you!
These sound very interesting – I’m off to check out the recipe!
Thanks for sharing. That really looks interesting and I love the way you featured it here.
thanks and you’re welcome! they were fun to make.
How fun are those little cookie cutters!!! Those would be so fun to use to make awesome presents for friends and family!
yes, they would – make something fun with them, and include them in the gift!
I LOVE Leanne and her blog. Of course, she’s got a great attitude and a killer blog, just like you! I’m hoppin’ over to your guest post right now. I LOVE what you made here. So, so adorable and they sound wonderful too!
I was happy she wanted me to guest post… I love her and her blog, too! the crackers were fun to make for her!
XXO!
I made these crackers today, and they are already gone!! we LOVED TEHM and all I can think of now is that date spread. I’m making more this week, thank you, betty!
you are very welcome, Channing! if you’re making the crackers again, the date dip goes well with them! glad you liked the crackers too.
personalised crackers? You’re my heroine.
How fun!
heee! thanks… they were fun!
Great post Kristina! Just left a comment on Leanne’s blog!
Favorite cracker topper: CHEEEEEEESE! Cubed, sliced, spread, doesn’t matter!
oh, then you’ll LOVE my next cracker post for sure! (although it’s … vegan cheese… it’s GOOD!)
love those cutters! too cute
now off to check out that recipe
I made these this morning, with raspberries instead of black, and used regular (gluten free!) all purpose flours and they are great. not as cute as yours, I cut with pizza wheel, and they are uniquely delicious THANKYOU!!!
I’m SO glad you made them – raspberry sounds great too! I’ve made these three times now… can’t get enough!
Oh man, these look so cute and yummy. Bookmarked to try at some point in the future once I’m caught-up on everything that pilled-up while on vacation
ha – I know how that is, at this point I won’t catch up!
Those are the cutest crackers I’ve ever seen! <3 them so much. Hope you had a lovely weekend, friend. I'm on a plane home from NYC right this minute. Always bittersweet to leave, ya know?
oh I most definitely know that one! are you guys moving there? then I can come visit!!
It’s definitely being discussed a whole lot lately! We have an international stop to make before we move there, though. I’ll have to fill you in sometime soon! Haven’t said anything about it on the blog…
AND if we move to NYC, you and Jason better be some of our 1st visitors!
I was wondering… I think you vaguely skimmed over some adventure abroad… I’d love to hear more! and YES, most definitely we would be among the first visitors! Jason has never been to NYC, and for me it’s been WAY too long…
I am soooo smitten with the cracker cutouts!!! Just picked a whack of blackberries on the weekend, so this has been bookmarked into my “must try” file. Have a wonderful week.
I ate a whole box of blackberries with breakfast this morning – they are SO good this year I can’t get over it!
I made these this afternoon, love them! very slight flavor, is that what your result was? mine were more purple, I love it!
also, they are crunchy but still a bit soft, if that makes sense. is that your result?
hi kris!! we made these last night! the crackers are good and the date spread is my new favorite thing. I need a huge bowl of it at all times!
SO happy to hear it, Hollie! and yep – that date spread is pretty dope, right?
just saw these on tastespotting while browsing snacks – they are wonderful! great photos also.
we made these yesterday too and love them! they are mild in flavor and mine were much more purple, the kids loved that. did the seagulls enjoy?
ha! they did.
it’s funny, my second batch was more purple too. different berries, perhaps? being more “dense” or something? taste and texture were the same, so I don’t know. I like them really purple!
I keep meaning to tell you this is my new favorite “staple” and I always have it around. I use it on everything LOL. so so yummy and I don’t feel guilty about buying a food processor now, it gets used a lot!!
you must mean the date dip?
glad to hear it, and happy to help you use the processor more! thanks, Donna!
I made these over the weekend, they tasted great but didn’t look like yours. they were a little crumbly. I tried half the batch a little thicker, but then they were just too soft more like a cookie. help!!!
hmm, a little crumbly could mean not enough moisture. I have made these a few times and have had to knead the dough a bit in one batch to get it to come together.
very original recipe as many of them here are; well done. the dip looks good too.
I made these, they tasted really good but they were VERY crumbly!! I kneaded and kneaded, added water and they finally came together – is this normal? also they were delicate, but mine were thin (I like thin crackers) and broke in the dip
hi Yaleah – I’m very sorry they didn’t come out as expected. I have made this dough a few times, and yes, sometimes it takes a bit to form. I don’t know why they were delicate after cooking, though, mine with this recipe always come out pretty hearty – in fact, I’ve had a couple people tell me TOO sturdy, so I’m sorry, I don’t really how to fix that without more info – can you tell me more, did you use the same flours? I would love to figure this out!
Best, Kris
I made these and they turned out wonderfully! my flavor was very mild, the texture perfect and that date spread was delicious! thank you betty
thank you, Connie! happy you enjoyed!
making these right now, I am really excited for them to come out of the oven!! thank you Kristina, the date spread is AMAZING too!
hi Leland! I’m happy you like the date spread – pretty good stuff, right? I hope the crackers were just as good!
so pretty! the date dip sounds delicious.
where can I get the cutters?
how did you make the crackers with the words in them?
it’s a cookie cutter with letters you can slide in to make words
{ 1 trackback }