PREP: 20 minutes: BAKING TIME: 1.5 hours MAKES: 15-20 yummy crackers
What to do with that leftover but highly nutritious almond meal after making almond milk? Make delicious crackers … that’s what! And these crackers couldn’t be easier to make!
NUTRITIONAL BITES
Almonds are naturally high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats as are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease. Almonds' ability to reduce the risk of heart disease may also be partly due to the antioxidant action of the vitamin E found in almonds. They are also an excellent source of phytoestrogens making them a perfect food for combating menopausal symptoms.
Ingredients
1 cup of almond meal (left over from making 1 cup of almond milk - squeezed out to the last drop!)
2 tablespoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of tahini
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
1 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons of chia seeds (ground)
3 teaspoons of dried rosemary
2 teaspoons of tamari
1 teaspoon of chili flakes
1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and marjoram
½ teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and black pepper
Let’s Bake!
- Turn the oven on to 275F (250F convection) and mix all the ingredients together in a medium size bowl into a 'dough' (I find a fork works well) and then let it sit for 10 minutes (so the chia seeds can absorb the liquid and bulk up).
- Tear off two dinner-plate sized sheets of parchment paper (preferably chlorine-free/unbleached) and spoon the cracker dough on top of one of them, shaping it into a square.
- Place the second sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll it out into the thickness of two stacked coins - you don't want it too thin and fall apart. I like to take the edge of the parchment paper and pull it up against the edge of the dough to create a straight edge. It looks a lot more professional this way!
- Now take off the top sheet and using a knife, score the dough into squares of your desired size – but be careful not to cut all the way through or it will fall apart when you flip it during baking.
- Prick each individual square several times with a fork (this will allow the air to penetrate the dough and help dry it out).
- Place the dough (still on the parchment sheet) into the middle of the oven (you can sprinkle more rosemary over the crackers at this point) and cook for 45 minutes, then take out and carefully flip the crackers over (to flip, I place the other sheet of parchment paper back on top, hold both pieces tightly together and flip). Cook for a further 45 minutes or until the crackers are a light golden brown and crispy. Now it’s time to find your most delicious dip or nut butter and pair it with your cracker creation.