We love crackers with soup, hummus, or just to have around for nashing with some cheeses. Gluten Free crackers can sometimes be expensive and I love baking so why not try to create a recipe that can easily be made at home? I had a recipe for an almond cracker that we sometimes like, but after a while the flavor of the almonds gets to be mundane and you would like a change.

Using my old recipe, I tried to measure out the right replacement for the THRIVE Gluten Free flour and the first batch created a very dry dough that I kept adding water to until it felt about right, soft and rollable but not sticky. It wasn’t too bad once I found the right texture, but when they baked up they were HARD. Almost too hard to break.
I recalled my first year of eating gluten free and remembered that many flours need to be exchanged by WEIGHT, not by measuring cup. So I weighed out the almond flour, and it weighed in at 8 ounces. I don’t recall exactly how much almond meal it was by cups, but 8 ounces would work. Trying the recipe again, using 8 ounces of Thrive GF Flour, the crackers turned out perfectly.

Now that I make these at least once a week, I am honestly tired of rolling them out with a rolling pin. It can be a challenge to get it just the right thickness every time. One morning I had a brilliant idea - why not use my pasta machine! I dug it out of the cupboard and after mixing the dough, within just a few minutes, I had all the dough rolled out into almost the same sized strips with uniform thickness! You may find that you need to sprinkle a little bit of Rice flour as you press the dough through the pasta machine, but I did not have to and it went through perfectly, without sticking anywhere. Then I was able to cut each strip down the middle, and cut those strips into bite sized crackers, bake as usual! Now I am trying to figure out what else I can use that pasta machine for with my Gluten Free Flour!
Now go bake some crackers and make a pot of soup, then enjoy!


Gluten Free Crackers 　

8 oz Gluten Free Flour (WEIGHED not measured in cups)
1 tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
4-6 oz filtered water
1/4 tsp baking powder, optional, makes a slightly lighter cracker

Salt, dried garlic (finely chopped), dried onion (finely chopped), or other toppings if desired.
　

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THIS RECIPE: This recipe was created to use THRIVE GF Flour mix, but can be used with other GF Flours as well. The key for this one is that it is NOT a “Cups" recipe, and needs to have the flour measured out in ounces. Many GF flours are different by weight, so this is very important for the right consistency dough. 　

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all dry ingredients well. Place a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and gently pour in about 4 ounces of the water, setting aside the rest in case it is needed. Mix all ingredients together with a fork until forms a nice ball. The dough needs to be soft, but NOT sticky. If it is too dry, add a little more water, 1Tbsp at a time and mix well. Knead gently for just a minute or two. Cut dough in half. On parchment, roll out one half very thin. Then do the same with the other half. With a fork, poke holes in the dough to allow steam to escape while cooking. Cut to desired size using pizza cutter. I usually cut to individual cracker sizes, like snack crackers.

Bake for 5-15 minutes, depending on size you cut the crackers into. Watch them carefully and if they need more cooking time, only add 2-3 minutes at a time so that they do not over-cook or burn. These can go from almost done to burnt in just a short period of time. So PLEASE remember to keep an eye on them, don't get distracted - because the over done ones taste nasty! Depending on your humidity outside and inside they can last for up to a month. Store in an airtight container or jar. Serve with your favorite dip, soup, salsa, cheese, or hummus.

VARIATIONS: Add 1-2 tsp rosemary to the crackers for a taste treat. You can also add other herbs or spices to go with the dip, cheese, or soup you will be serving these with, or Parmesan cheese to the dry ingredients, before adding water. With dry herbs or Parmesan, you may need to add a bit more water to make it roll-able. Herb suggestions: Dill, onion, garlic, chive, chili powder, Thyme.

Around this time of year, squash and pumpkins are everywhere.  This is great time to grab a bunch and put up some pumpkin or squash puree in the freezer or canning cupboard for use over the winter season.  And, what better treat to serve while you enjoy the fresh smell of chilly Autumn air than a tasty slice of pumpkin bread? 

Well, I guess you could eat those wonderful fudge brownies I posted earlier, but if you aren't a big chocolate fan or aren't in the mood for those, our gluten free pumpkin breads are another great choice!   These loaves can easily be frozen, too, for later - if they last that long! 

This recipe is extra special as it is made without eggs.  Great for your home storage cookbook or recipe box.  For those looking for a dairy free recipe, this one's not it.  It does work better with milk for some reason than with almond or other nut milk.  You are welcome to try it that way, if you like, and let me know what your results were! Would love to hear.


Gluten Free, Egg Free Pumpkin Bread
2 Loaves

3 1/2 Cups Gluten Free Flour
2 Cups Sugar ( I used 1 1/2 Cups)
2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1-16 oz can of Pumpkin Puree (Organic comes in 15 ounce can. I used this plus 1/4 Cup extra milk)
1 Cup Olive Oil
2/3 Cup milk
1 tsp Vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees; oil 2-9X5 loaf pans. I also like to line my pans with parchment paper for easy removal of loaves. If using non-stick pans, no need to oil them.

Mix all dry ingredients together well. In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. Pour the wet into the dry and mix together just till well combined. Do not over beat.
Separate the batter evenly between the two pans and place in the oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan 30 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack. Place in a bag or container for storage.  Delicious with a slab of cinnamon butter slathered all over it, or a little dollop of cinnamon sour cream made with some milk or water and Sour Cream Powder.