Flat Bread Crackers and Mango-Based Fruit Flats

Sep 30, 2026 by

By Chef David

Crackers evolved from baked flour-and-water flatbread, matzo, and easily portable survival food, and into a craveable snack, associated with charcuterie platters. Technically, all crackers are a form of flatbread, but while flatbreads retain moisture, crackers do not. Removing the moisture extends their shelf life and changes their texture. The water makes flatbreads thicker, while crackers tend to be crisp and brittle. The most common may be soda crackers, which are square and thin, and Ritz-style buttery crackers, which are richer and round.

Firehook Baked Crackers

Firehook artisan-baked crackers look like a flatbread, long and thin rectangles, with the rustic blistered appearance, but with the crunch of a cracker. This solid cracker can hold any topping. They are certified kosher-dairy by the OK, we sampled four varieties: garlic & thyme, everything like the bagel, classic sea salt, and rosemary & sea salt. They also sell multigrain flax, avocado sea salt & chive, and Grillo’s pickles (dill pickle flavored). They come in two sizes: 8 or 5.5 ounces. They can be purchased at select stores or online.

Firehook is made from simple dough (organic wheat flour, water, oil, and salt) and is rolled out incredibly thin before baking, so they dry out completely, giving it a distinctive snap when broken. Each 1-ounce serving contains 100 calories, with 3 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber, and 1 gram of sugar. They come in a clear plastic box which allows you to inspect the crackers before purchase.

We enjoyed the firm flatbread as a nice addition for kiddish or appetizers.  Our favorite flavor was the garlic & thyme, which was a great compliment for cheese and herring. We enjoyed breaking the crackers into smaller pieces and enjoyed the crunch.

Firehook is a welcome change from the overly processed store brands.

If we had one request, it would be to make these crackers pareve (since the ingredients appear not to contain dairy at all). This would allow us to use them for charcuterie platters and at the shabbat table.

[Box] Background: Firehook was established in 1992 as an artisan bakery, creating a cracker with high-quality ingredients with a distinctive, satisfying crunch. The name is inspired by the iron fire hook used to pull bread from an open hearth and symbolizes the care and tradition in everything they bake. [/box]

Fruit-a-Peel – Fruit Flats

We were introduced to a handmade fruit-leather made without added sugar, colors, or preservatives. The ingredient label is short, consisting of three ingredients, Mango puree, concentrate, natural fruit flavors, and citric acid. Each .84-ounce package is a single serving and provides 1 gram of both fiber and protein, 2% calcium, and 4% potassium with 80 calories. While the flavors change, the color remains similar, a dark burnt orange indicative of its mango base.

We were impressed with the flavors, which tasted different, each reminiscent of the name on the label, a not-too-sweet ‘sweet treat.’  Each pack contains approximately 10 grams of natural sugar.

  1. Fun and Fruity Punch (pineapple, cherry, and apple)
  2. Tangy Orange Cream (vanilla and orange) tastes like a creamsicle
  3. Tangy Hawaiian Fusion
  4. Sweet Juicy Mango
  5. Zesty Lime
  6. Zesty Pink Lemonade
  7. Pineapple Coconut
  8. Sweet Melon Medley
  9. Cherry Berry Fusion
  10. Sour Blue Raspberry

Fruit-a-Peel consists of chewy, pliable extrusion of mango with a balance/d flavor, of sweet and tangy. The dried fruit puree turns shiny, getting a soft leather-like texture. Fruit leather can come in different shapes. These fruit flats are designed to be peeled off the flat paper, making them a fun, easy-on-the-go snack perfect for school lunches. We preferred letting the pieces dissolve in the mouth, rather than chewing on them, making the flavor last longer while preventing the fruit leather from sticking to our teeth.

Fruit-a-Peel handmade fruit flats is a brand of Pure Bites Snacks founded by Hannah Krausz in 2015. The sheets are stamped and cut out into the signature, playful geometric shapes. Each package contains a positive inspirational message on an enclosed card.

Fruit-a-Peel is certified kosher by the OU, as well as certified as being gluten-free, Non-GMO, and vegan. They are available for purchase at select online boutique stores, including Simply Made Here.

High-Quality Ingredients

We enjoy products with simple, clean ingredients. Switching up our snacking selections with Firehook Crackers elevated our appetizers, with their distinctive flat bread appearance and wonderful cracking sound. Fruit-a-Peel is a natural fruit leather in a fun form with a variety of flavors that appeal to children and adults.

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