Graham crackers have an interesting history. In 1829 Sylvester Graham, a Presbyterian minister and a health reformer, created graham crackers as part of a dietary regimen to promote a morally pure lifestyle.
He was concerned about the negative effects of sexual desire and believed that diet played a large part of it. Physical lust was harmful to the body and Graham believed that is the cause of headaches, indigestion, spinal diseases, epilepsy, and insanity.
To correct these issues, he advocated eliminating meats, fats, spices, condiments, coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages. Graham also believed that a vegetarian diet and the avoidance of processed foods would curb sexual appetite as well as all other ailments.
He promoted the use of unsifted and coarsely ground wheat flour, which was called graham flour. The original cracker without any fat or refined sugar, was similar to a bran saltine cracker without the salt.
The administrators of Oberlin College in Ohio liked Reverend Graham’s ideas and decided to feed students according to his principles. Students were encouraged to abstain from eating meat and from drinking coffee or tea. They were also discouraged from eating butter and pastries or even seasoning their food. It is said that a professor lost his job for bringing a pepper shaker to the dining room table. The Oberlin students protested so much that the college was forced to abandon the Graham diet completely and allow coffee and tea, butter and meat for the students.
Today, graham crackers are made of white flour, sugar, trans fats and flavored with honey or cinnamon. What a total contrast from the original cracker!
Graham crackers are an essential ingredient to the making of s’mores, a favorite campfire snack. Hersey’s chocolate bar and toasted marshmallows sandwiched between graham crackers are the simple ingredients to make this popular snack. S’more is the shortened version of “some more.”
I don’t think Reverend Graham would approve of this snack.
Chocolate eclair cake is a classic Midwestern dessert and requires no baking. The simplest way to make it is with instant vanilla pudding, whipped topping and chocolate frosting.
But to get rid of the plastic taste in the finished dessert because of the whipped topping (Cool Whip) and the artificial taste of the instant vanilla pudding, Cook’s Country came up with a recipe with a pudding made of milk, cornstarch and unflavored gelatin and real whipped heavy cream. Instead of canned chocolate frosting, a simple ganache was made with chocolate chips and light corn syrup.
Cook’s Country’s Chocolate Eclair Cake
Serves 15
Combine in a large saucepan:
1-1/4 cups sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups milk
Whisk into mixture until smooth and bring to a boil, scraping bottom with a rubber spatula, over medium-high heat until thickened and large bubbles appear on the surface, about 5 -6 minutes:
Off the heat, whisk in:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
5 teaspoons vanilla extract
Transfer pudding to a large bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.
Stir in a small bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes:
2 tablespoons water
1-1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
Microwave until the mixture is bubbling around the edges and gelatin is dissolved, 15 to 30 seconds. Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip on medium-low speed until foamy, about one minute:
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add gelatin mixture and whip until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute.
Whisk one-third whipped cream into the chilled pudding, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, 1 scoop at a time, until combined.
Cover the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan with a layer of graham crackers, breaking crackers as necessary to line the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the pudding-whipped cream mixture and another layer of graham crackers. Repeat with remaining pudding-whipped cream mixture, and remaining graham crackers.
Microwave, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups heavy cream
5 tablespoons light corn syrup
Cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Cover graham crackers with glaze and refrigerate cake for 6 to 24 hours. Serve. (Eclair cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
