Nutty on the Inside

Although I haven't been able to get out of the house much this week, I have certainly been busy. I stockpiled my kitchen with everything needed to try some new recipes. So while everything around us turned into frozen tundra, we stayed warm and well-fed all week.

One of my favorite new recipes is a grain-free nut cracker.  It's the kind of easy that makes you wonder why you've never bothered making it before. So now I have two things on my never-buy-at-the-store list: salsa and crackers!

So, without further ado, I give you my herbed nut crackers, taken from The Label Says Paleo. This was a great recipe, although the vague instructions on how to handle the spices made this wannabe baker a littler nervous.

Nutty Dill Crackers

• 1.5 cups ground almonds 
• 4 egg whites
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 tsp dill
• 1 tsp oregano
• .5 tsp sea salt
• .5 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven at 325° F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

It took about half a pound of blanched almonds to rend 1.5 cups of almond meal. I just threw them into my small food chopper and puled until the consistency was as fine as I could get it.

Next, add your spices. I knew I wanted dill, but wasn't sure what else, so I let Google be my guide! Honestly, I'll be trying these again with spices and fresh herbs such as rosemary, garlic, cayenne pepper, cumin ... the possibilities feel endless. If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear what you do with it!

Ground almonds and herbs

Now you're ready to add the egg whites and oil. I used olive oil because it's all I had on hand, but you could also use coconut or grapeseed oil. Once the mixture is a good consistency -- thick and sticky, not ar all runny like a pancake batter, it's time to roll out the mixture.

Place the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with another sheet or parchment or plastic wrap, and roll out until 1/8" thick.

Check the thickness -- I didn't get mine thin enough in the center!

And here's the best part -- you're done! Toss it in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges become golden brown and crispy.

When they are done, cut immediately -- it will still be soft enough to slice easily. I used a pizza cutter!

I ended up with 20 crackers, but had I flattened my mixture better,
it definitely would have been more.

I had no idea what to expect with these, but --WOW-- I fell in love instantly. Mine are more bread-like than crackery, due to the sloppy rolling, but still delicious. Next time I'll know how to get the crispier version I want.