Saturday, April 19, 2014

Orange-Kissed Seed Crackers

Do you
own more cookbooks than you can possibly cook your way through in this
lifetime? I have a large bookshelf
devoted entirely to cookbooks, and due to space limitations, I treat myself
to a new book only once a year or so. I recently bought Vegetarian Everyday solely for their Orange-Kissed Seed Crackers, a recipe definitely worth
breaking my moratorium on cookbook purchases.

These
seeded beauties satisfy my cravings for salty crunchy snacks, not to mention
that they’re rich in protein AND are gluten-free too.Even if you binge on these, you’ll still feel more energetic
and won't suffer carb-coma as you might after gorging on a big bag of potato
chips or a whole sleeve of Ritz crackers.(Not that I would know anything about that, ahem…)

I’d never
made crackers before, but these couldn't be easier.If you are also a cracker-making novice, here’s the perfect
way to start.

The
recipe is flexible with the variety of seeds you choose.Sunflower seeds always make me happy, as do a
combo of white and black sesame seeds.Ground flax seeds add antioxidants and omega-3s.(Why not?)Almond flour and sea salt round out the mixture.

Olive oil
and water bind the mosaic of seeds into a loose batter that will spread out thinly on
baking sheets.

Halfway through the baking time, the crackers are brushed with an
orange-honey glaze and sprinkled with more toasty seeds before a second stint in the oven.

I love the recipe’s description of “orange-kissed”, as they have just a hint of citrus smiling upon them.

The
challenge is waiting for them to cool once they’re out of the oven, but you’ll be rewarded
for your patience once you bite into these shatteringly crisp and toasty delights.And if you’re
feeling particularly generous and can bear to part with a few, these seeded crackers
lend themselves well to being wrapped in festive packaging and given as a wonderful hostess gift,
which was how they were originally introduced to me.(Thank you, Lorra!) I assure you, your gift recipient will be most appreciative!

Slightly adapted from a recipe in Vegetarian Everyday: Healthy Recipes From Our Green Kitchen by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl

The
original recipe calls for equal measures of sunflower, sesame and hemp seeds,
but since I didn’t find hemp seeds easily, I’ve amped up the quantity of the
other seeds.I threw a few black
sesame seeds into the mix for a bit of extra color, but you can use all white
sesame seeds if that’s easier. You can use amaranth or quinoa flour if you
prefer to make a nut-free version.

¾ cup
sunflower seeds

½ cup
white sesame seeds

¼ cup
black sesame seeds

1/3 cup
flax seeds, ground

1 scant
cup ground almond meal (or amaranth flour or quinoa flour)

1-½
teaspoons sea salt

¼ cup
olive oil

1-¼ cup
water

2
tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1
tablespoon honey

Preheat
the oven to 300°F.Line two rimmed
baking trays with parchment paper or non-stick baking mats.

Combine
all the seeds together in a large mixing bowl.Scoop out about a half-cup of the seeds into a small bowl,
reserving to sprinkle on top of the crackers.

Add the
almond meal, salt, olive oil and water, stirring to combine thoroughly.The batter will be very thin.

Divide
the batter equally between the two prepared baking sheets, using an offset
spatula or a table knife to spread into a very thin rectangle on each sheet,
approximately 12” x 14”.Bake for
25 minutes.

Meanwhile,
combine the fresh orange juice and honey in a small bowl to make a glaze.(I warmed the honey a little to help it
blend with the orange juice.)

Remove
the baking trays from the oven.Brush the orange glaze evenly over the two rectangles and sprinkle with
the reserved seeds.Use a thin
sharp knife or a pizza cutter to carefully cut the crackers into 2-inch
squares.Return to the oven and
continue to bake for 30 minutes until the crackers are crisp.

Let the
crackers cool on a wire rack. Store
in an airtight container. Makes approximately
30 large crackers.