Cajun Firecrackers

Each Christmas we decide to go with a light lunch usually sandwiches, chips, dips, cookies and snacks as the focus of the day will be on exchanging gifts and letting the young ones open all their presents and play with all their new found treasures. Generally, the adults do not exchange gifts anymore, but there is always someone who breaks the rules. Anyway, I digress….

One of the snacks that we make every year for christmas and possibly New Years is an old family favorite known as 'Cajun Firecrackers'. Now, I am not going to lie to you and tell you I know where they got the name 'Cajun Firecrackers' as the reality is that they are not made with what one would call traditional Cajun spices. But so be it, Cajun Firecrackers they are. I am going to list two recipes for you here, the first one is made with ready made powdered 'Ranch Seasoning' packets, and the second recipe is made entirely from scratch.

Both recipes are easy to make, but if you do not already have dried powdered buttermilk in your pantry, then purchasing the ready made 'Ranch Seasoning' packets may be the way to go for you. Personally, I recommend purchasing the 12oz container of dried buttermilk powder as it costs almost the same as 4 individual 1oz packages of Hidden Valley Ranch mix. Anyway, which ever way you decide to go, I am sure you, your family, and your friends will enjoy these home made snack crackers.

Firecrackers

Now I am not going to lie to you, these are not exactly what I would call a healthy snack. In fact, they are quite high in sodium and oil, but they taste so good. I realize that the amount of oil specified in these recipes seems like a lot, but trust me if you reduce the amount of oil then the seasoning will not be evenly distributed over the crackers. Follow the same directions whether you are making the fire crackers from the quick or scratch recipe. I warn you, the original recipe for these crackers is hot! When I make these for my family, I only use 1 to 2 teaspoons as opposed to 1 to 2 tablespoons ed pepper flakes. You can definitley see the difference in the color of the two batches of crackers at the end of the article, the full on spicy version made with 2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes has quite a bet more red color.

Cajun Fire Crackers (Quick Recipe)

1 box saltine crackers (4 sleeves)

2 1oz packets of dry Ranch Seasoning

1 1/3 cups Canola oil

2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Remove crackers from sleeves and place in 1 gallon zip lock bag. Then in a large bowl, combine the oil, Ranch seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper (if using) and mix well. Add the oil mixture to the ziplock bag, seal and lay the bag on it's side. Flip the bag over every 15 minutes for 1 hour (a total of 4 times). The crackers can be eaten right away after the first hour, but are better if left overnight.

Chef's Note: Over the years, I have abandoned the plastic ziplock bag and have begun making my firecrackers in a plastic container that will hold all four sleeves of crackers. It is a cheap rubbermaid container that we bought at Walmart many years ago.

Cajun Fire Crackers (Scratch Recipe)

1 box saltine crackers (4 sleeves)

1 1/3 cups Canola oil

4 tablespoons dried buttermilk powder

2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
3 teaspoons dried parsley, divided
1 teaspoon dried dill, divided

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Chef's Note: The only downside to using the Saco cultured dried buttermilk is that it does get kind of hard over time. Not a big problem if you are mixing it with liquids, but it does make it more difficult when using it in dried mixes. So I combine all my ingredients in the small food processor you see in the following picture and process the mix before adding it to my oil.

Conclusion

These crackers are quick and easy to make, not necessarily healthy, but hey, we do not eat them everyday. Try some of these the next time you are getting together with your friends and family, or when your just having the guys and gals over to watch the football game. BTW, these make a great snack to take to the Super Bowl party. I hope you and your family will enjoy these firecrackers as much as ours does. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

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