Instructions: "The vegetable juice creates an inviting red color that forewarns of the snap in these spicy crackers, which comes from black pepper and hot pepper sauce. These are excellent party snacks. 325 F. 20 to 25 minutes Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Stir together the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl or in the food processor. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a separate bowl, mix the V-8 and the hot pepper sauce. Add the V-8 mixture to the flour mixture and blend to form a dough that will hold together in a cohesive ball.

Divide into 2 equal portions for rolling. On a floured surface or pastry cloth, roll thin, 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 2-inch squares and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Prick each square 2 or 3 times with the tines of a fork.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning over after 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Yield: 70-75.

VARIATIONS: You can substitute or combine tomato juice and other vegetable juices with the V-8.

For more spice, increase the hot pepper sauce or add celery seed, cayenne, or your favorite herb.

Substituting 2/3 cup of wheat or oat bran for the same amount of flour will increases the healthfulness of these crackers.

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