These "gourmet" crackers are incredibly delicious, and it is next to impossible to eat just one. They are also very simple to make, with most of the time spent either freezing them to make slicing easier, or, baking them. So, they are a winner in my books. Oh, AND, they are super adaptable, if you like walnuts, use those, trying to watch your money, use sunflower seeds and cashew pieces! The recipe is based off of one on Crowded Kitchen. I changed things up a bit as I prefer a more nutty, and less fruity cracker. And, I added almond flour and backed off on the AP flour as well. For nuts, I used hazelnuts and walnuts, for fruit, dates. 

Ingredients

  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, I also added some chilli pepper flakes
  • ½ cup dried fruit, chopped, I used our dates (apricots, figs, dates, raisins, cherries, etc)
  • 1 cup nuts or seeds, chopped, I used our walnuts and hazelnuts (but you can use any nuts or seeds really! These would be delicious with pecans)
  • 1 cup milk of choice (we used oat milk, but any kind works)
  • ¼ cup maple syrup

 Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two mini loaf pans (~5 ½” x 3 ¼”) with parchment paper or one 8 ½" x 4½" pan, (which is what I used.)
  2. Add both flours, baking soda, salt, herbs, nutmeg, pepper, dried fruit and nuts to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. Stir in the milk and maple syrup until well combined and no streaks remain.
  3. Divide between the 2 mini pans, or one large loaf pan. Bake for ~25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
  4. Let cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight. (You can also leave them frozen for up to 3 months, as long as they are tightly wrapped.)
  5. Preheat oven to 300˚F.
  6. Remove from the freezer and use a sharp knife to slice into ⅛” thick slices. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
  7. Bake for 12 minutes, then flip each cracker over. Bake for another 12 minutes, then check for doneness. If they aren't quite done, flip again and cook for another 3-8 minutes. They should be golden brown and feel dry to the touch, but they may still look soft due to the fruit. Don’t worry - they will crisp up as they dry! 
  8. Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a few days. They will start to get soft from the dried fruit, you can always pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up. Note that dried fruit with higher moisture content (like apricots or figs) will make these go soft faster than fruit like dried cranberries.