Food For Thought: Have You Gone Crackers?
By Sandy McCall
You may have assumed that fresh, healthy crackers are hard to make. Nope! These crackers are easy to prepare and they store well. They also have fresher, healthier ingredients--with better flavors--than many of the crackers you buy in the store.
These easy-peasy crackers are wonderful with soup, but they also make great snacks--either plain or by adding a little nut butter. You can use a cookie or pizza cutter to cut them into uniform sizes before baking, or break them into random-size pieces after baking.
You will love this two-ingredient basic cracker recipe. It is gluten and grain-free, and can also be made with wheat flour. My new favorite flavor is Sichuan peppercorns and sea salt. Sichuan peppercorns have a unique aroma, red color, and a flavor that is neither hot like chili peppers nor pungent like black pepper.
It has a slight lemony flavor and is perfect for these crackers. The amount of topping you use depends on how much flavor you like. Begin by adding small amounts and adding more as desired.
Two-Ingredient Crackers
2 cups almond, cashew, or wheat flour--or combination of flours
1 large egg
Preheat the oven to 325°.
Place all ingredients into a food processor and mix until dough turns into a ball. It will take a minute or two. Adjust moisture level if necessary by adding a tablespoon of water at a time while processing.
Roll parchment baking paper onto a large cookie sheet, place dough on top. Place another piece of parchment baking paper on top of dough. Roll until dough is very thin. Remove top parchment paper and sprinkle with the toppings of your choice. Place the top parchment paper back and roll slightly to press the toppings into the dough. Remove the top parchment paper before baking, but leave the bottom layer in place. Leave the dough in one piece or cut into shapes with a cookie or pizza cutter.
Bake for 10-15 minutes. Turn the pan around halfway through baking so crackers can bake evenly. After all the crackers have been baked, turn the oven off and return the crackers to the cooling oven to dry out and crisp up for about 20 minutes.
Remove the crackers from the oven and cool completely. Separate the cut crackers, or if you left the dough in one piece, push on the top of the baked dough to break the crackers into random pieces.
Topping Suggestions
Salt - Celtic sea salt or Pink Himalayan
Peppercorns - Sichuan or black, whole or crushed
Seeds - sesame or sunflower
Hemp hearts
Store crackers in a jar or container with a tight lid.
Now you have gone crackers. Enjoy!
Sandy McCall’s day job is working as the Broker/Owner of Southern Life Realty. When she’s not being the“mad scientist” in the kitchen or loving-up her cat, dogs or chickens, she enjoys being a Food Writer …
• Facebook Blog: “
• Food Writer: “Sandy’s Food For Thought” at 50PlusLivingWNC.com
• Food Writer: WholeLifeChallenge.com
For Foodie questions, email SandysFoodForThought@gmail.com