I have been on a baking kick lately… and for someone who is gluten-free, yeast-free, sugar-free, etc, well, let’s just say I didn’t see much baking in my future. So, I’m feeling quite excited and I wanted to share some of what I’ve been learning with you.

I recently discovered elanaspantry.com. It’s a wonderful site with tons of recipes for people with different food styles (nut-free, candida, paleo etc). The recipes I’ve been trying use almond flour in place of wheat flour, which makes her products extra yummy, high in protein, and safe for those of us with sensitive systems. The only downsides are that almond flour is pretty expensive and it’s easy to overdue it. I know I love nuts and they are a quick and easy snack, especially in cracker form, but eating too many of them makes me feel less than great. So, as with everything, moderation is the key.

Below is one of my favorite recipes that I’ve tried from her website so far. These crackers are crispy and delicious, and they only have about 5 ingredients. They also happen to remind me of the cookies my grandmother, Meme, used to make us. Every time we went to visit her in Israel, we would come back with tupperware filled to the brim with her simple and not-so-sweet cookies. It’s been a while since I tasted those, and these just brought me back. Next time, I’m also going to try adding fennel seeds to the batter.

Here’s the link for the recipe and the text. As I mentioned earlier, I halved this recipe and I also used olive oil. Also, since I don’t have a rolling pin, I used a cylindrical spice bottle 🙂
In case there are any vegans reading this post, I found another similar recipe that uses sesame oil and water instead of eggs. You can also try substituting the egg with flaxmeal and water.
http://www.elanaspantry.com/sesame-crackers/
http://debbiekoenig.com/2012/12/07/30-minute-holiday-baking-sesame-almond-crackers/ (this is the vegan recipe)

Sesame Crackers

• 3 cups blanched almond flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons celtic sea salt
• 1 cup sesame seeds
• 2 eggs, whisked until frothy
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or olive oil

1. In a large bowl, stir almond flour, salt, sesame seeds, eggs and oil until well blended
2. Separate dough into two halves
3. Line two large (12 x 16) stainless steel baking sheets with parchment paper
4. Place one half of the dough in the center of each lined sheet
5. Cut another piece of parchment paper and place it over one of the balls of dough
6. Roll dough out between the two pieces of parchment paper, until it is ⅛ inch thick and covers the entire baking sheet; remove top paper and repeat process with the other piece of dough
7. Cut the dough with a knife or pizza cutter into 2 inch squares
8. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown
9. Cool and serve

Makes 96 crackers

And here’s my final product! Yum!