Who needs soda crackers in their soup when it’s so easy to make edible spoons? Yes, you can have your spoon and eat it too! Surprisingly, one spoon will make it through an entire bowl of soup without falling apart, but if you give each person two or three, they can crunch away as they go, which is half the fun.
I used a little yeast in this simple dough to keep the spoons light; we wouldn’t want to break a tooth on them, right? The dough won’t rise much, but it will be easier to work with after an hour of rest. While I worked with half of the dough (I don’t have four dozen spoons) the other half was covered with plastic wrap, rising a bit again as it waited its turn. Once the spoons are covered with dough they go straight into the oven, because you don’t want them to rise at that point.
If you don’t need four dozen spoons, you could turn the remaining dough into breadsticks by cutting the dough into strips, brushing with melted butter and then sprinkling with garlic salt and Italian cheese. Give them a twist and bake until light brown and crunchy.
I can fit 18 spoons on a cookie sheet, which was plenty for me! If you get tired of making spoons, turn the rest of the dough into crunchy breadsticks.
Since the spoons need to be very firm, crunchy is what we’re going for here. VERY CRUNCHY! If you want soft, tender breadsticks, try my Breadsticks…How Cheesy Can You get?
I tried many different methods for shaping the dough to see which was fastest and easiest for me, and settled on rolling the dough out very thin, then cutting rough spoon shapes with a sharp knife. You may prefer to roll small pieces into ropes (skinny on one end, fat on the other), but the important thing is to cover the spoon with a very thin layer of dough. If it’s too thick it won’t be as crisp, and it will puff up, which won’t leave enough room in the bowl of the spoon for soup.
Thin, thicker, thickest!
The spoon on the left would be for a light soup. The spoon on the right would work for chili.
| Edible Soup Spoons | Print |
- 1 cup warm water
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or garlic salt)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2½ cups bread flour
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast (rapid rise)
- Butter to coat the spoons
- In a large bowl, combine the water, salt and sugar.
- Add flour and yeast. (If using a stand mixer, switch to a dough hook.) Mix until dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, adding a little more flour if necessary.
- Place dough on a floured surface and knead a few times until dough isn't sticky. Place in greased bowl or a plastic bag. Let dough sit for 1 hour. It will rise a little, but will not double.
- Heat oven to 375 F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment. (The spoons slip around easily; use baking sheets with sides, if possible.) Gather STAINLESS teaspoons and tablespoons and place them upside down on the baking sheets. Coat the backs lightly with a thin coating of butter.
- Divide dough in half. Return one half to bowl or plastic bag while you work with the other half.
- On a floured surface, roll dough out very thin . . .no more than ⅛ inch. With a sharp knife cut out shapes roughly the size and shape of a spoon. Don't worry about being exact; you can stretch and pat the dough to fit.
- Start with the bowl of the spoon, pressing the dough to fit all the way to the edges. Press with the palm of your hand to make it even, trimming any excess around the edge with scissors if necessary.
- Twist the dough at the bottom of the bowl, where it turns into the handle, and press firmly onto the spoon, then cover the handle with the dough, cutting off the end or twisting it decoratively. You can also twist the whole handle, or braid . . . have fun and experiment!
- When all of the spoons are covered with dough, place the baking sheet into the oven. Bake approximately 18-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your dough and the weight of your silverware. Look for a rich golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from oven and leave the dough on the spoons for 5 minutes. Remove and allow stainless spoons to cool before repeating with the remaining dough.
- Best if used promptly, but if you are making them ahead, make sure they are completely cool before storing.
- You can also freeze them. If you want to serve them warm, just pop them in the oven for a few minutes at 375 F.
Place dough in greased bowl or plastic bag and let it sit for 1 hour. It will rise a little, but won’t double.
This dough was a little thick. Thin is better, but if you want sturdy, be sure to bake it a little longer.
Ready for the oven.
Baked. Let them sit on the spoons for 5 minutes.
We’re moving into my favorite time of year. Pears and apples, nutmeg and cinnamon, maple everything . . . I love Fall! The garden goes to sleep and I have time to play in the kitchen and linger in my happy place. I just bought forty pounds of Honeycrisp apples and some gorgeous pears, so I guess you know what’s coming next.
Lorinda