loads of graham crackers - don't say cheesecake!

[lolabella]

Hey guys,
My husband works near a peak freans factory and occasionally picks up some cheap cookies from the 'scratch & dent' section. Well, a while ago on his way out they handed him a garbage bag of individually wrapped graham crackers and said 'here...free!'

He was thrilled, but now I don't know what to do with them! We've done the s'mores and we've done the cheesecake, and we haven't made a dent. Any ideas?

LB

[Amuse Bouches]

Hello Dollies! They're tooth achingly sweet but easy as pie and delicious.

http://www.savour-fare.com

[cheesecake17]

Make an ice cream pie- graham cracker crust filled with layers of ice cream and chocolate or caramel sauce. You can make it in advance and freeze it and top with fresh whipped cream and sprinkles before serving. You can also make minis in paper lined muffin tins.

Whenever I make it, everyone goes crazy. I guess there's something about ice cream..

[smalt]

I also did not follow the links, but I've got a recipe called "Chocolate Eclair Cake" that uses graham crackers to layer between a whipped cream/pudding mixture, topped with a chocolate covering....it's been so long since I've made it, I suspect I embellished on it at different times, and with the addition of coconut, would guess it approximates Nanaimo bars....

[greygarious]

The dessert Jacques Pepin made on his show today was a Napoleon comprising graham crackers layered with vanilla ricotta and peach preserves. Sort of a deconstructed cheesecake, I suppose, so maybe not what you want.

[rabaja]

7 Layer Bars!!! make them once, and you'll be donating the rest of your graham crackers to save your butt from expanding, I promise you.

[pigtails]

i enjoy them with cream cheese.
i also enjoy them in a bowl of milk.
i guess i have simple tastes when it comes to graham crackers.

[HLing]

I would probably assemble them into some sort of multi-layer ice cream sandwich cake and keep in the freezer. Lay down say, three x 2 graham crackers together, a 1/4 in thick vanilla ice cream, on top of that, another layer of 6 grahm crackers, then another layer of ice cream of whatever flavor you'd like, and then another layer of grahm crackers. You can pack them together as one bundle, but essentially you'll have 6 double deck ice cream sandwiches in the freezer waiting for you; or one rectangular ice cream cake already to be cut.

Gelato would probably work, too, but what's better, a nicely whipped heavy cream that you just can't finish using would find a nice home this way...Or the asian flavor ice creams...in fact, I imagine ginger ice cream would go well with Graham crackers....

Now I wish I had that many graham crackers.....

*If you were going to dip the graham crackers in dark chocolate it'd be even better in the sandwiches..

[lolabella]

Thanks everyone...this is great! There are a lot of good ideas here, both sweet and savory, so I'll get started...keep the recipes coming! I also really appreciate the goodwill circulating here. the chowhounders are a good bunch.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i like the idea of donating some.

apologize in advance if i'm repeating - i didn't read through all the linked responses. but the ones you do keep can be used:
- as ice cream/yogurt topping (crush into large crumbs)
- as pie or tart crust (crush into fine crumbs)
- processed super-fine, and substituted for a portion of the flour in quick breads, muffins, cakes or cookies

[kchurchill5]

I suggest a shelter, good will, salvation army. I'm sure there are many people who would be very grateful and much appreciative.

You can make brittle, cookies, cakes, but pretty much limited to deserts or sweets for the most part.

I would donate. With todays economy and layoffs there I am sure many who be very willing to accept the donation. Small as it is. It may be a lot to them.

[TrishUntrapped]

These Chocolate Peanut Butter bars are great. They taste just like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup butter
18 pounce jar peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
12 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips (or other semisweet chocolate)

Directions:

1. Melt butter and peanut butter together in a saucepan.

2. Combine confectioner's sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl.

3. Add the melted ingredients to the sugar and crumbs and mix together. It will be stiff.

4. Spread mixture in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan, or a smaller pan if you want thicker bars. Press firmly.

5. Melt chocolate chips and spread on top.

6. When cool cut into squares. The bars do not have to be refrigerated, but can be to speed cooling. Do not store in refrigerator. Cut into 36 bars or according to taste.

[kshrimp]

My introduction to matzoh crunch was from a children's cookbook and it used graham crackers instead of matzoh or saltines.

This won't take you very far, but I love love love graham crackers smeared with peanut butter, or with cream cheese or chocolate frosting..... mmmmmm.....

[Old Spice]

Chocolate-covered graham crackers? I do like those, done with dark chocolate.

When we were kids, my sister and I liked peanut butter on graham crackers. Still do, although I rarely have graham crackers around.

And MazDee's suggestion to share what you can't use with a food pantry is a good one.

[rainey]

I would point out that chocolate covered graham crackers can be pretty great. But unless you're willing to temper chocolate you'll probably end up disappointed.

[MazDee]

Why don't you keep what you can reasonably use, and donate the rest to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen or something like that- they would love it and it would give you the pleasure of helping out!

[kattyeyes]

That is even better than my bird food suggestion. I think people in need would appreciate graham crackers more than birds! ;)

[rainey]

It won't use up a ton but you could make Nanaimo Bars. http://www.nanaimo-info.com/gpage.html

Then you could process some of the graham crackers into crumbs and store them in sealed jars. They should keep about forever + 2 weeks.

BTW, I'm sure you don't want a steady diet of cheesecake but there are sooooo many wonderful ones that sometime down the road you might break out that jar of crumbs and try a pumpkin cheesecake or a chocolate one or one swirled with lemon curd or who knows what will occur to you.

[puddin head]

when I was a kid my aunt would serve them to us like cereal...broken up in a bowl with milk on top. I used to love it!

[greygarious]

I have not made this, but a friend insists it's good:
SAWDUST PIE:
1 pre-baked 9" pie shell
1 1/2 c sweetened coconut
1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c egg whites (6-7)

Whisk whites lightly, stir in other ingredients, pour into prebaked shell, then bake in preheated 350 oven for 35 minutes

[todao]

Yesssss...
I'm takin' that one home.

[Caitlin McGrath]

That sounds like it would be even better with some chocolate chips!

[kattyeyes]

Magic cookie bars. I honestly don't know what you're going to do with a whole garbage bag of grahams, though? Do birds and ducks like them? Feed our feathered friends!

[todao]

How about:

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=231784
or
http://www.familyoven.com/offsite?r_id=19688&u=http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ham-Balls/Detail.aspx
or
http://www.grouprecipes.com/sr/21165/my-moms-graham-cracker-chicken-drumsticks/recipe/
or
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222806
or
http://southernfood.about.com/od/brow...