Surprise your family or guests with freshly baked crackers. For special occasions, use cookie cutters to make them into imaginative shapes. Serve them with a dip for an appetizer or pack them in a lunch. Crackers will keep for two to three weeks stored in an airtight container. If the crackers lose some of their crispness, heat them at 250 F for about 5 minutes.

Directions: =========== Position two racks in the center and the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 F.

Spread 2 tablespoons sesame seeds on each of three unoiled baking sheets. This will prevent the crackers from sticking and will give them a delicious crisp bottom.

Put the water, oil, and salt in a small bowl until combined. Stir in the 1/2 cup sesame seeds. Add the water-oil mixture and mix to form a rough dough. Knead the dough in the bowl to form a ball, and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Lightly flour a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a 22- by 14-inch rectangle, about 1/16-inch thick. Using a fork, prick the dough all over to release trapped air and keep the dough flat. With a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough into 2-inch squares or other shapes, or cut shapes with a 2-inch cookie cutter.

Using a spatula, transfer the crackers to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the crackers are light brown and firm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes, switching the positions of the sheets halfway through the baking time. When the first two sheets are finished, remove them, and bake the third one as directed. Cool completely.

Friends) Typed for you by Karen Mintzias