Gourmet Crackers

The perfect addition to any cheese platter these fancy crackers are bucket loads cheaper than the expensive versions you can buy at the supermarket and taste absolutely delicious! These gourmet crackers are twiced baked so you can get their thickness just right for you and they are superbly crunchy (as all good crackers should be) and last for weeks in the pantry! Divine with soft and hard cheeses but also lovely on their own as a quick snack. My version of gourmet crackers contains less sugar and more seeds than many others floating around the internet - and they have been a raving success everywhere I have taken them!!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

3 tbs natural yoghurt

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup wholemeal flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp all spice or nutmeg

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 cup dried fruit of your choosing ( I use dried cranberries )

1/2 cup seeds or nuts of your choosing ( I use 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas) + 1/4 cup sunflower seeds + 1 tbs chia seeds )

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees fan forced. Grease and line a small (21 x 11 x 7cm) loaf tin with baking paper.

In a small bowl whisk the milk and yoghurt together. Set aside.

In a large bowl add all dry ingredients along with the dried fruit and seeds/nuts. Mix well.

Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour into prepared tin. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool in tin for 10 minutes before allowing to cool completely on a rack.

Once cold, wrap in cling film and place in freezer for approx 1 hour or until the loaf is cold and firm to press. The more frozen the loaf is, the easier it is to slice thinly - but too frozen and it won't cut!

Unwrap the loaf and using a serrated knife slice thinly into approx 2-5mm wedges. If you would like your biscuits smaller than the width of your loaf tin, now is the time to cut them to size.

Place biscusts on a lined baking tray. Don't overlap but fit them in snuggly as they won't expand or stick during this next baking.

Bake for 50 minutes. Flip biscuits once half way through to ensure even colour.

Allow biscuits to cool on the tray.

Store in an air tight container for up to 4 weeks.

Notes for Gracious Goodness:

I get about 40 x 5mm slices from my loaf tin and I find this a good thickness for spreading with soft cheeses. Some people prefer them thinner for dips. You choose!

Based on 40 serves : approx macros per 1 biscuit : 36 calories, 6 g carbs, 1 g fat, 1 g protein

Get creative with your dried fruit, seeds and nuts - think fig and pistachio, apricot and almond ...

I hope you make and enjoy this recipe! Leave a comment if you enjoyed it!!

Love Sandra xo