Flax Seed Crackers... Gluten-Free/Egg-Free/Flour-less.

Flax Seed Crackers... Gluten-Free/Egg-Free/Flour-less. Sorry, I'm back to making crackers again:). But ever since I made the chia seed crackers, I knew I wanted to try the flax seed version. This time around I chose to sort of  "get rid" of some seeds, grain and nuts I had in my fridge. I often manage to buy certain seeds, nuts or grains  for specific recipes... use some of them, but then sort of "forget" about the rest. Oh, I know they are there,  because I see them every time I open my fridge:). Nuts normally aren't a problem, as we like to munch on them whenever we look for  a snack. Sunflower seeds tend to be used in salads... and as of recent, for making sunflower seed "flour" to use in gluten-free recipes. Made some gluten-free french macarons using sunflower seed flour and it works really well.... in case you are interested in trying it:). In any case,  flax seeds, chia seeds and millet sort of get forgotten. So this time around my intention was to "clear" out my fridge... got all my little containers  with various seeds, nuts, and millet to make these crackers.

The resulting crackers were delicious! Even though this batch of crackers weren't grain-free or nut- free(like the chia crackers), I felt they had more character:). The flax seeds and millet provided quite a bit of extra texture... and the almonds gave the crackers added flavor. You'll have to overlook the fact that some of the seeds can get stuck in your teeth:). 

Because I SO loved the flavor of  onion in the chia seed crackers, I decided to add it to these crackers as well.  Personally, I think the onion flavor is what really elevates the crackers and makes them unique. I like to eat the crackers as a snack, sort of curbs my appetite for chips.... even my husband likes them:). They go wonderfully well with various cheeses and dips. So if you you are looking for yet another cracker recipe that's a bit different, you might want to give this recipe a try. Hope you enjoy...

Note: If  you notice the cracker is not crisp when you break it in pieces, it probably wasn't dried enough in the initial baking process... so all you'll need to do, is to bake it for another few minutes until the crackers are crisp. It can be anywhere from 10-20 extra minutes.  

You will need:

1 cup flax seeds(I used golden)

1 cup water

1 cup sunflower seeds( I used 1/2 cup raw +1/2 cup roasted)

1/3 cup millet

2/3 cup raw sliced almonds

2 tsps  dried onion powder 

chile flakes to taste, optional

11/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients. Mix well to combine evenly. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or more ... until mixture "clumps" up and forms a thick "batter". 

At this point, you can proceed to bake the crackers, or you could let the cracker mixture soak for 2 hours or so... which is what I ended up doing. The mixture does get drier, but it still works.

• Preheat oven to 170 deg F

2. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, and place cracker mixture in center. With wet or oiled hands press the mixture into a thin even layer... about 1/4 inch thick. You will need to wet your hands often, as the mixture can be quite sticky.

3.  Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 60-80 minutes. Turn cracker sheet over and bake an additional 60-80 minutes... or until you notice the cracker sheet is no longer soft in the center. 

When turning the cracker sheet over, you might find it helpful to use another baking sheet of the same size to help you turn it over without breaking in pieces.

4. Turn oven off and allow cracker sheet to dry further in the oven with the residual heat. I leave mine overnight... 

I placed a range in baking time, because this depends on how thick or thin the cracker was spread... and all ovens are different. Mine took about 70 minutes on each side.