CRAZY PIEROGI CRACKER

CRAZY PIEROGI CRACKER

A blend of sauerkraut, soy cream cheese, mustard, garlic, paprika. Served cold on crackers with assorted toppers: chopped Kalamata olive, chopped cucumber, chopped tomato and chopped dill pickle!

Makes about 3 cups spread

8 oz. soy cream cheese, plain, at room temperature

2 T. ketchup

2 T. prepared yellow mustard

1 t. onion powder

1-1/2 t. garlic powder

1 t. sugar

½ t. mild paprika

3-4 twists of fresh ground allspice, or a tiny pinch of canned/bottled ground allspice

lots of freshly ground black pepper

12 oz. can sauerkraut, drained and squeezed by handfuls to extract all excess liquid

chopped Kalamata olive for garnish

chopped fresh cucumber for garnish

chopped fresh tomato for garnish

chopped dill pickle for garnish

paprika as garnish

Place all ingredients, except garnishes, in large mixing bowl. Stir well with sturdy spoon to mix thoroughly and evenly distribute and incorporate all ingredients. Adjust for salt, transfer to covered container and refrigerate till very cold, and spread has firmed up, and flavors matured – several hours at least.

Just before serving, mound a tablespoon or so onto crackers of choice (I used Ritz). Top ¼ with the Kalamata olive, ¼ with the cucumber, ¼ with the tomato and ¼ with the pickle garnishes. Sprinkle with paprika. Place on platter and serve.

Notes: Crazy Pierogi Cracker is the way I see it. Cheese, sauerkraut, dough. Dee-licious!

I prefer letting this spread set overnight in the coldest part of the refrigerator. So, in that regard you can definitely make it ahead, just don’t assemble the crackers until your guests are ready to eat them. Remember serve very cold.

When squeezing sauerkraut, be sure to squeeze out all the liquid, otherwise it will inject too much liquid into the spread. We want the spread thick.