White Cheddar and Chive Crackers (Grain-Free)

These crackers are understated, perfect for pairing with herbed goat cheese or some lovely pate, but can definitely hold their own if eaten singly.  It seems almost vulgar to compare them to storebought cheese crackers, but I have to admit that this was how they were born.  I miss grabbing a handful of savory crackers from a box; it’s so satisfying and time-saving.

I get raw, grass-fed white cheddar cheese every month from my co-op, and I knew it would be perfect to add to a cracker recipe.  And then, oh!, adding some chives was just what I needed to round it out.  The flavors really come through and balance not only the flavor of the soaked and dehydrated sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, but also the texture: the smoothness of the cheese works against the crunchiness of the seeds, and the fresh garlic and chives add an aromatic aspect to round it all out.

It all started when I saw this basic cracker recipe over at my friend Cara’s blog, which had stemmed from a very basic recipe here.  My wheels started turning: I like to make anything I can with cheese added to it, so what can I say?  I just had to make this my own, to suit our tastes.

And have I mentioned how nice it is to have crackers to grab in the morning to put in my son’s lunch?  They are so much better than goldfish crackers–better absorbed, better nutrition, and essential for a GAPS kid!  Remember to soak and dehydrate your seeds (buy a dehydrator here) 1-2 days beforehand to make this recipe.  It will improve the digestibility of your seeds if eaten raw, and the crackers–even though they are baked and no longer raw and enzymatic–will still be easier to digest with the enzyme inhibitors neutralized from soaking.  You can see the how-to for soaking and dehydrating your seeds here.

White Cheddar and Chive Crackers

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked and dehydrated (or buy soaked & dehydrated seeds here)
1 teaspoon sea salt (buy sea salt here)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 cup sesame seeds, soaked and dehydrated (buy soaked & dehydrated seeds here)
1 cup white cheddar, grass-fed
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
filtered water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, combine sunflower seeds, sea salt and garlic clove.  Process for a couple of minutes, until the meal looks moist.  Add sesame seeds and process again for about a minute.  The sesame seeds are so small that they will not break up too much; you need only incorporate them.
2. Add cheddar cheese and pulse to combine.  Make sure there are no shreds left, but it is all blended well.  Add the chives and pulse again, as little as possible.  (If you overprocess, the chives will no longer be flecks in your crackers–instead, they will make the dough green!)  Add up to 1/4 cup of water and pulse until a ball of dough forms.  The amount of water you need will depend on how humid it is where you live.  The dough should just come together.
3. Roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper to the desired thickness; I did about 1/8th of an inch.  Pull off the top piece of parchment paper and, using a pizza cutter, cut into the size squares you prefer for crackers.
   
4. Transfer squares to a parchment-lined baking sheet, with a small spatula if needed, and bake for 15 minutes or until nicely browned and crisp.
   
5. Slide parchment off the cookie sheet immediately to stop the crackers from cooking too long.  They cool quickly, so you may be able to put them directly onto your counter, depending on the material you have (I have granite).
6. Do not store in an airtight container as this makes the crackers lose their crispness.  I find that putting them in a gallon zip bag without zipping it makes the most sense.