For those of you who want to cut down on carbohydrates, or who follow a gluten free diet, these delicious and delightfully crunchy crackers taste great with dips, cheese…..anything. They are not too difficult to make and are similar to some exorbitantly priced crackers available in supermarkets today. Each of these crackers has less than half a gram of carbohydrate.
Combine 40g (1.4 oz) each of flax, chia, sunflower, pumpkin (pepita) and sesame seeds plus 20g (0.7 oz) of poppy seeds and 5g (0.17 oz) of psyllium husk. Mix well then remove ⅓ of the mixture and grind it in a grinder or food processor. Return the ground mixture to the other seeds and add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of olive oil (optional) and 1 cup of water. Mix well and allow the mixture to rest for 10-20 minutes. Both psyllium husk and chia seeds soak up many times their weight in water and form gels which help to bind the crackers. Preheat your oven to 180 °C (355ºF). When the mixture has become gelatinous, spread it onto a large sheet of silicone or baking paper (parchment) on a large baking sheet. Place a sheet of paper or plastic over the top and use a rolling pin to even out the mixture. If you straighten the edges as well, the crackers will bake more evenly but this is not absolutely necessary. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from the oven and, using a pizza wheel or knife, cut into 32 crackers (8 x 4). Return to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes until the crackers as crisp and browning a little. The ones on the edge will bake faster than those in the middle so you can remove the browned crackers to a cooling rack and return the rest to the oven for a few more minutes. Allow the crackers to cool completely before storing them in an air-tight container.
michelle picker cooks 