HANDS-ON: 10 MIN. // TOTAL: 42 MIN. // MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN
I knew these crispy cracker bites were a keeper when I heard the professionals in the publisher’s test kitchen describing them as tasting “just like a Cheez-It.” And they’ve been a hit for all ages: for my kids when served as a cheesy snack and for my friends when served as a bite to go with a glass of wine. It only takes a few minutes to combine the dough and roll it into a log. Slice and bake immediately, or freeze the unbaked log, then cut slices and bake as needed.
1 cup blanched almond flour (about 31/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 11/2 cups)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 Whisk together the almond flour, flaxseed, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl until well blended. Add the cheese to the flour mixture; toss or stir until combined. Whisk together the egg and oil in a small bowl until blended. Add to the flour mixture and stir until incorporated. Knead the dough until thoroughly combined, and roll it into a 9-inch log (2 inches in diameter). Cut the dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. (Freeze or refrigerate any unbaked dough.)
3 Bake until golden and set, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the wafers cool on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
(SERVING SIZE: 1 WAFER): CALORIES 73; FAT 6G (SAT 2G, UNSAT 4G); PROTEIN 3G; CARB 2G; FIBER 1G; SUGARS 0G (ADDED SUGARS 0G); SODIUM 91MG; CALC 6% DV; POTASSIUM 0% DV
almond flours
Alternative flours are taking over the baking aisle, and it’s likely you’ll see “almond flour” and “almond meal,” as well as the words “blanched” and “unblanched,” on packaging, making buying a simple flour slightly confusing. Here’s the difference and benefits to each:
• ALMOND FLOUR is made by grinding almonds to a flour-like texture. Superfine almond flour is the closest in texture to white flour. Sold both ways, blanched almond flour is the more common type.
• ALMOND MEAL is made by grinding almonds to a slightly coarser texture or larger size than finely ground almond flour. You’ll usually find almond meal made with unblanched almonds.
• BLANCHED means the outer skin on the almonds was removed. Small amounts of some nutrients are lost, but removing the skins allows for a finer grind.
• UNBLANCHED means the nut was ground with the outer skin intact. This can give the ground almonds a slightly darker tint and nuttier flavor, but also makes it a little more nutrient dense.