Graham crackers are an iconic snack and are ideal for creating delicious s’mores. Additionally, moon pies and cheesecake are made using Graham crackers as an ingredient.

Graham flour gives these crackers their iconic flavor and texture. More coarsely ground than regular whole wheat flour, you can find it at most grocery stores.

Psychology

Graham crackers have long been considered a sweet, innocent snack; whether covered in peanut butter, filled with chocolate, or wrapped around marshmallows for the classic s’mores treat. Yet had 19th century Presbyterian minister who invented them been alive today, his original concept may have had nothing to do with marshmallows and chocolate at all!

Graham was an outspoken pastor who held that indulgence of all forms was sinful. To combat moral decay in American culture caused by delectable food and drink consumption, as well as seeking stimulation through sexual relations or masturbation seeking, Graham advocated a bland diet of unstimulating whole grain foods as an antidote; furthermore he strongly condemned commercial bakeries, believing their products to be adulterated with adulterants and declaring their products contaminated.

Graham used his health crusade as an opportunity to open source his recipes, garnering thousands of followers who embraced his strict lifestyle in hopes of avoiding diseases such as cholera, which was prevalent during this period.

John Harvey Kellogg was one of Graham’s most ardent disciples and is responsible for creating Corn Flakes cereal, which incorporates Graham’s strict diet into modern American culture. Today, many choose graham crackers both for taste and nutritional reasons – they provide high fiber levels, iron and magnesium benefits while being low-fat snacks that are gluten-free!

Chemistry

Graham crackers may be most commonly known for being used in making s’mores, but they were originally developed with another purpose in mind – to ward off sexual drives and masturbation impulses! Sylvester Graham actually created them specifically with this purpose in mind! These delicious snacks were originally designed as an effective means of combatting such urges.

Making graham crackers starts with using “graham flour,” a specialty whole wheat flour created by grinding finely the endosperm of grains and then coarsely grinding their bran and germ, creating a course-textured flour that bakes well. Once this flour is ready, it is mixed with sugar, honey or syrup, baking powder and salt to form cracker dough.

Other ingredients, like shortening and butter, may also be added to give crackers their unique flavor and texture. These fats typically consist of hydrogenated vegetable shortening but could also come from animal fat or even lard; while giving the crackers their characteristic crispiness they also cover up some of their original flavors.

Quality control chemists monitor various physical characteristics of finished crackers during production, such as color, flavor and aroma. Utilizing various tools they check these qualities against standards set during product development – if a batch doesn’t meet certain criteria they may not be sold in stores.

Origins

Graham biscuits have long been used as an ingredient in various global dishes and desserts. As an ideal base for puddings and creamy desserts – including mango float – graham crackers have also become part of breads and muffin mixes as they add both texture and subtle flavor.

Reverend Sylvester Graham introduced graham crackers in the 1830s with very specific goals in mind. He believed physical lust to be harmful for humans, causing various health conditions including pulmonary consumption, spinal diseases and insanity. To counter this urge he suggested sexual abstinence except when necessary for reproduction and diets high in fiber and bland.

Graham crackers became an ideal accompaniment to the temperance movement’s advocacy for abstaining from alcohol and supporting healthier dietary practices. Graham’s crackers featured unsifted, coarsely ground wheat flour that has more of an uneven nubby texture than regular all-purpose or whole wheat varieties.

Graham’s ideas at the time were met with much derision; however, his stand on bland food resonated with someone who would go on to revolutionize breakfast foods: John Harvey Kellogg. Using Graham’s theory when developing corn flakes in 1895 as inspiration, Kellogg applied similar principles when creating cornflakes; today graham crackers are produced globally by National Biscuit Company (formerly Nabisco).

Snacks

Graham crackers are an extremely versatile food item. Enjoy them plain or with toppings; either way they are an essential component of many desserts and an easy homemade version can even replace store-bought cookie dough in recipes for cheesecakes and pie crusts! Creating homemade versions of traditional store-bought snacks can be fun and fulfilling to those looking to expand their palate with new cuisines.

Sylvester Graham was a Presbyterian minister who became active in the temperance movement, an abstinence-oriented social movement advocating against alcohol and other “sinful” pleasures such as physical pleasure. A strict moralist, Graham believed that any physical pleasure excited lust in men, which caused social damage and was against God’s wishes; consequently he devised food items with bland taste so as not to excite society at large; these are now known as graham crackers!

Graham flour is a coarser form of whole wheat flour that’s typically used to give these crackers their classic taste and texture. Unfortunately, Graham flour has become harder to come by in recent years but can still be substituted with regular whole wheat flour for similar results. You will also require molasses as it adds sweetness as well as moisture to the dough – dark brown sugar may serve as an acceptable substitute if unsulphured molasses is unavailable.