Healthy, Gluten Free Crackers

These crackers aren't so much a cracker in the thin, crispy sense.  They are thicker, chewier, heartier, with a slight crisp around the edges, and they are oh so good.  They're kind of a crackery/bready/cakey texture.  They're wonderful for the spreading of hummus or baba ghanouj.  They're fantastic as a side for soup.  Rolled thicker and cut larger, they make a good flat bread for sandwiches.  They're also pretty darned good just by themselves.  Not that I know this from experience, because I ate half a dozen of them all by myself or anything.

This recipe is a mash up of the (never home)maker's version and the Oh She Glows version, spiced to match my preferences.  Both of those blogs are amazing, and if you don't follow them, you probably should!  I've learned so much from them both.  Anyway, these crackers are also gluten free and vegan.  Win all the way around here!

This recipe offers one last advantage.  It's a way to use up leftovers.  There tends to be both left over quinoa and left over rice pretty often around here.  Unfortunately, today I had neither, so I actually had to cook!

Healthy, Gluten Free Crackers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 1 TBSP water
• 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
• 1 TBSP thyme
• 1 TBSP oregano
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp tahini
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic, finely minced

Directions:

1.  Cook rice and quinoa in separate pots.

2.  Cool completely.

Because I was very anxious to make these, I just dumped them both into the bowl of the food processor and shoved it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

3.  Preheat oven to 350°.

4.  Put all ingredients into bowl of food processor and process until well mixed.

Don't worry when it's not dough-like.  It should look like this.

5.  Dump mixture onto a greased cookie sheet.

6.  Flatten and shape the dough with wet hands.

7.  Cover with plastic wrap and roll with rolling pin to help even out the thickness and smooth the tops.  Don't worry about trying to roll it thin.  These AREN'T supposed to be thin little crackers. However, if you want to work on rolling them thin, they will bake up crispier.

8.  Use a pizza cutter to slice into desired shapes.

9.  Bake 15 minutes, and then carefully flip the crackers over.

10.  Bake 15 to 25 minutes more, until golden.  Watch very carefully after 30 minutes so they won't burn.

11.  Cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet.  They will further firm up while cooling.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Cheddar Crackers

I found this recipe all over the internet, but as near as I can tell, it originated at Country Living.  These crackers are so good!  They are light and airy and not greasy at all.  They've got flaky pockets inside, kind of like goldfish crackers.  I cannot say enough good things about these crackers, and that's saying a lot, because I don't really like cheddar cheese.  I made them because my husband asked vehemently.  Several times.  I was pleasantly surprised.

 

The recipe says that you should roll these out directly onto the baking pan.  Well obviously, I don't have enough talent to do that.  I tried.  It went much better when I gave up and rolled them out on a floured counter top.  Also, I had never worked with chilled dough before, and I didn't expect it to be so hard to work with.  I wasn't able to get them quite as thin as they are supposed to be.  Some of them turned out very cracker-like, and others turned out more like tiny cheddar puff-pastries.  Interestingly enough, I liked the puff-pastry like ones the best.

 

So things I learned for next time: 

1. Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit on counter top for about 20 minutes before rolling out. 
2. Do not try to roll out without flouring surface first.
3. Roll between parchment paper so that I can get them thinner.
4. I need a bench scraper
5. I could also use some little cookie cutters.

These are not a low calorie snack, but they are a good for you snack, and they're quite satisfying.  I did the math on the calorie count, because I'm anal that way.  They are not significantly less in calories than actual goldfish crackers; there are only four less calories in the home made version for the same serving size as in goldfish.  However, it's not about saving calories.  It's about not eating added crap that you don't need.  The home made version has FOUR ingredients.  The commercial version has those ingredients plus sunflower, canola, and soybean oil, annatto, autolyzed yeast, sugar, and monocalcium phosphate.  I don't need all of that stuff.  Heck, I don't even know what a lot of that stuff IS!

 

Cheesy Crackers

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper (optional)
• 4 TBSP cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
• 3-4 TBSP water

 Directions:

 

1.  Pulse the flour with the salt and pepper in food processor

 

2.  Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

 

3.  Add grated cheese a little at a time until the mixture again resembles coarse meal.

 

4.  Pulse in 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, and only enough so that the dough forms a ball and rides the blade.

 

5.  Remove, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.  (Leave for as long as you can, as well chilled dough puffs more in the oven.)

 

 

6.  Roll the dough out to 1/8th-inch thickness directly onto a baking sheet.

 

7.  Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut 1 inch squares.

 

8.  Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until crackers are golden brown.  Watch them closely after ten minutes.

 

(Note that these aren't uniform in size.  Or in shape.  My sixth grade shop teacher once told me that everything I cut looked like someone cross-eyed cut it.  Well, I'm not cross-eyed, but I am left handed!  THIS is why I could use some little cookie cutters.)

 

 9.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

 

Store in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze.
These will NEVER last a week in this house!

 

Enjoy!