Monday, April 7, 2014

Make It From Scratch: Crackers

Crackers, the perfect crunchy snack with cheese and sliced deli meat.  Or to go with tuna or chicken salad alongside some crunchy sliced veggies.  The perfect quick lunch for kids and grown-ups alike.

Crunchy goodness
 There are definitely some good quality crackers out there, but if you know how easy it is to make your own, and if you care a lot about what your family eats, then this is a great snack food to try and make yourself.  The following recipe is grain free because that is how we eat most of the time.  But don't be put off by that, the flavor of these crackers puts that box of generic cardboard flavored disks to shame.  And this is a great recipe to get the kids involved, too; just measure everything into a bowl and stir it up.  Easy!

Cracker making helpers showing me the turmeric.

Super fun to measure and dump herbs.  Letting the kids help with the cooking is fun.

Stir stir stir

Adding the olive oil to the dry ingredients

A cohesive dough

Smoosh it out with oiled hands

The finished dough before it is baked

Baked and cooled, just break it into pieces

 Grain Free Italian Seed Crackers

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 Tablespoon hemp, flax, or sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons olive or avocado oil

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lay a silpat or parchment paper on a sheet pan/cookie tray.

In a medium bowl measure all dry ingredients and combine with a spoon.  Pour in oil and water and stir to form a cohesive dough.  With oiled hands press the dough out on your silpat or parchment, pressing gently with your fingers and palms, using more oil as needed to prevent sticking.  Press to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Place in your preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until firm and the edges of the crackers are lightly browned.  Let cool completely, then break into pieces.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week.


This would also be delicious with different herbs like fresh rosemary or thyme.  If you cannot have nightshades, omit the paprika and pepper and the crackers will still be fantastic.
Delicious!

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