Description
These Homemade Gourmet Crackers are a delicious and healthy snack made with a blend of whole wheat and plain flour, dried cranberries, oats, sunflower seeds, and a fragrant mix of spices. Baked in two stages to achieve the perfect crispy texture, they pair wonderfully with creamy cheeses like brie and camembert. This recipe yields approximately 40 thin, crunchy crackers that are perfect for entertaining or everyday snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup / 250 ml milk (any fat % cow’s milk)
- ¼ cup / 50g brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened yoghurt (Greek yoghurt recommended)
Dry Ingredients
- ½ cup / 75g plain flour (all purpose)
- ½ cup / 75g whole wheat / wholemeal flour
- ½ cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit of choice)
- 1 tsp baking soda / bi-carb (or 3 tsp baking powder)
- ½ cup rolled oats (or 1/3 cup more nuts of choice)
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds (or other seeds or nuts of choice)
Spices
- ½ tsp ground turmeric (optional)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (or all spice or 1/8 tsp cloves)
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary (or ½ tsp more thyme)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare tin: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a small loaf tin (approximately 21 x 11 x 7 cm) with baking paper to ensure easy removal after baking.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, brown sugar, and plain yoghurt until well combined.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the plain flour, wholemeal flour, and dried cranberries. Use your fingers to gently break up any large cranberry pieces.
- Form the batter: Add the rolled oats, sunflower seeds, baking soda, all the spices, salt, and pepper to the flour mixture. Pour in the milk mixture and gently stir until you achieve a thick batter resembling muffin batter. Let it rest briefly if needed; this doesn’t affect the final result.
- Bake the loaf: Scrape or pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin, smoothing the top. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and freeze: Once baked, remove the loaf from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap it tightly in cling wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 months to make slicing easier.
- Prepare to slice: Remove the loaf from the freezer and allow it to thaw partially at room temperature for about 20 minutes, so the exterior is softened but still firm enough to slice thinly.
- Preheat for crisping: Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F). Position two oven racks: one in the middle and another directly beneath it.
- Slice the loaf: Using a serrated bread knife, slice the loaf into very thin slices approximately 2 mm (1/12 inch) thick. Place the slices evenly on two large baking trays, squeezing them close but without overlapping, as they won’t expand or stick.
- Bake the crackers: Bake the slices at 120°C (250°F) for 50 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through to ensure even browning. The crackers are done when they turn a light golden brown and are crisp.
- Cool and store: Allow the crackers to cool completely on the trays; they will harden as they cool to a perfect snap. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 weeks.
- Serving suggestion: These crackers are excellent served with soft, creamy cheeses such as brie, camembert, or blue cheese for an indulgent snack or appetizer.
Notes
- The size of the loaf tin affects the cracker shape; a small loaf tin yields crackers with nice rectangular shapes and good height for thin slicing.
- Freezing the loaf thoroughly makes it easier to slice uniformly thin, preventing crumbling.
- This recipe makes approximately 40 crackers, each measuring about 11 x 3 cm (4.5 x 1.2 inches).
- Store the crackers in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks for optimal freshness, though they may keep longer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cracker (approx. 11 x 3 cm)
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 2.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 3mg
