Cheese Crackers with Almond Flour

Last year I started making homemade cheese crackers and they instantly became my favorite savory treat to serve during the festive fall and winter months.

A long-time fan of Cheez-It crackers, I was delighted to be making a healthier version with real cheddar cheese and whole wheat flour. For most of 2013, though, I’ve been baking gluten-free so these homemade cheese crackers have not appeared and I’ve missed them. I enjoy the tastes, textures and nutrition in other flours such as coconut, almond and buckwheat and find I feel much better eating them. So, with the holiday season approaching quickly, it’s time to recreate these cheesy nibbles!

I pulled out my hand grater and a started grating cheddar cheese. The cheese went into the food processor along with some almond flour, turmeric, a bit of cayenne pepper, butter, salt and an egg. After pulsing a few times, I dumped the rough dough out and wrapped it up to chill. At this point, you can keep the dough in the fridge for a couple of days until you’re ready to bake.

After rolling out the dough, I started cutting different shapes. This week, we are celebrating both Thanksgiving and Hanukkah (they won’t overlap again for 79,000 years!) so in honor of this I cut out turkeys and dreidels. You can also cut the dough into the more “traditional” Cheez- It square shape. But no matter what shape you choose, be sure to sprinkle the tops with a healthy pinch of flaky sea salt before baking. That salty punch is just delicious and one of the reasons I can’t stop eating these once I start.

I’ve also rolled, cut and frozen the dough ahead of time, making it easy to pull out and pop into the oven for a quick appetizer. This is especially helpful when prepping ahead for Thanksgiving. Early in the morning, before the turkey goes in the oven, just bake the frozen dough (add a minute or two to the baking time) and you’ll have a great snack to hold hungry guests over until the big feast is ready.

Happy Hanukkah and Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheese Crackers with Almond Flour
Quantity depends upon what size cookie cutter you use or size of squares you cut

2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
2 cups finely ground, blanched almond flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne or Aleppo pepper (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into smaller bits
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cheese, almond flour, egg, turmeric, cayenne, butter and kosher salt together until a rough dough forms. Remove the dough, shape into a ball and wrap in plastic. Chill the dough for at least an hour and up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into quarters. Place one quarter of the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out into 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into squares or use your favorite cookie cutters. Place the cut outs on the prepared pan and sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each. Bake until crispy and just beginning to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Repeat with the remaining dough. You can also roll and cut the dough, then freeze on a baking sheet. When baking, add a minute or 2 to the baking time.

The crackers are lovely on the day they’re baked or keep well overnight at room temperature in a well-sealed container.

Tahini Cookies

I love the feeling of setting out measuring cups, butter to soften, jars of flour and wooden spoons. Seeing baking ingredients spread across my counter is a happy sight, and since baking is May’s theme for Tasting Jerusalem I was delighted to jump in and try something new and different.

I’ve been playing with different flours lately, and when I spotted the tahini cookies in Jerusalem I thought the flavors might work well with almond and coconut flour in place of the all-purpose flour. I’m also using coconut sugar quite a bit now, as I like its caramelized, earthy flavor so I pulled out that jar, too.

Tahini is a paste made of ground sesame seeds and is very popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be made into a dip on its own, or it features prominently in halvah, hummus and baba ghanoush. In addition to the different flours and sugar, I added a generous amount of Maldon salt and mixed cinnamon into the dough. I scooped and rolled the dough, topped each with a slivered almond and popped the baking pan into the oven.

The cookies emerged fragrant and toasty brown. Rich from the tahini and butter, they almost taste like peanut butter cookies, with a texture rather like a shortbread biscuit. Perfumed with cinnamon, slightly sweet, and with a little hint of salt in each bite, these tiny gems made a terrific after-school snack with a glass of milk. And this morning, I nibbled a couple with my coffee for a satisfying breakfast treat.

Tahini Cookies
Makes about 42 small cookies
Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

2/3 cup coconut sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup tahini paste
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
5 teaspoons cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup blanced, slivered almonds (to top)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Beat the sugar and butter together in a stand mixer or with an electric hand beater until combined. Add the tahini, vanilla, salt, cream and cinnamon and mix, then add the flours and mix further until a dough forms. It will be soft.

Using a small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop little balls of dough onto the cookie sheet (use half the dough to make about 20). Gently roll each into a smooth ball and place an almond sliver on top. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.

The cookies will keep in a covered container for a few days.

Banana Nut Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

Long ago, when I lived in Southern California, my friend Rebecca and I went on a valiant search for the best pancakes. We ate lots and lots of pancakes. Many a Saturday or Sunday morning was spent squished into a booth or patiently waiting in line at a diner, wondering if we’d find the pancakes.

For a while, the pancakes at Babalu’s in Santa Monica were contenders, but then we discovered Coyote Grill in Laguna Beach and knew we were home. See, we adored banana pancakes. The ones at Babalu had bananas sliced on top, which was good. But Coyote Grill cooked bananas into their cakes and that was the best. Plus, Coyote Grill was located just a few doors down from my boyfriend (now husband). What could be better?

Recently I’ve been playing around with different flours and almond flour is emerging as a favorite. I enjoy its nutty flavor and moist texture, plus it’s loaded with protein. Perfect to start the day! So when a pancake craving hit, I started stirring some batter with almond flour.

This is a simple batter to mix up. Some almond flour, eggs, milk (I use either whole or almond), maple syrup, vanilla and olive oil come together quickly and you’re frying in no time. Of course, there are mashed bananas in there, too!

Hot out of the skillet, these pancakes are tender and infused with banana goodness. I like to drizzle mine with pure maple syrup or sometimes a dollop of thick yogurt. This time, though, I made blueberry compote to accompany them since my second favorite kind of pancakes are blueberry. A happy morning indeed!

Banana Nut Pancakes
Makes 6 - 4 inch pancakes

1 1/4 cups almond flour (I use blanched almond flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk of your choice (I use whole or almond milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1/4 cup ripe banana, well mashed
Butter or coconut oil for frying pancakes
Blueberry Compote for serving (recipe follows)
Greek Yogurt for serving

In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir the almond flour and baking powder together. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, measure the milk and then add the eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup and mashed banana. Whisk the wet ingredients together until well mixed and then stir into the almond flour until just mixed.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt a bit of butter or coconut oil in it. Scoop 1/4 cup amounts of batter into the pan (as many as will comfortably fit) and fry the pancakes until they are golden and beginning to bubble, about 3-4 minutes. The pancakes are a bit delicate, so very gently lift around the edges of each one and flip to cook on the other side, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and finish frying any remaining batter. Serve with Blueberry Compote and Greek yogurt.

Blueberry Compote
Makes 2/3 cup

2 cups organic blueberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, do not defrost)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Serve warm or room temperature with the pancakes.

This recipe is featured at Foodie Friends Friday.