For a handful of months now, my husband and kids have joined me on my gluten-free journey. A few nights ago at dinner, I asked my husband if he is still happy to be gluten-free. “Absolutely yes!”, he said. Then my six-year-old son chimed in, “Absolutely no!”
Long-term health consequences are a bit lost on the young. To him, right now gluten-free means, “You don’t get those cupcakes that were brought in for your classmate’s birthday”… “You can’t eat the pizza at the school fund-raiser pizza party.”… “No Goldfish and graham crackers like the rest of the class.”
It is hard to find a school classroom today without at least one child with food allergies or sensitivities. Though this year mine is the only gluten-free kid in his class, it brings me hope that he won’t be completely alone in his distinctive snacks throughout his school years. To help soften the blow, I try to send in or bring to him a gluten-free version of whatever he feels he’s missing out on.
A gluten-free chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles for a classmate’s birthday? I’m there. A fresh from the oven slice of pizza for the class party? Count on it. A bowl-ful of grain-free cheese crackers? Just for you.
Grain-Free Cheese Pizza Crackers
Ingredients
- 105 grams about 3/4 cup almond meal
- 105 grams about 3/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon whey protein
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chilled butter cut into pieces
- 5 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Combine first 8 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until well-combined. Add sun-dried tomato paste and butter; pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal. With processor running slowly add ice water until mixture forms a ball.
- Remove dough onto large piece of parchment. Cover with another large piece of parchment and roll dough into a large rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Place on a large baking sheet. Chill dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Remove top layer of parchment and discard. Cut dough into 1-inch squares with a pizza cutter. Poke a hole in the center of each square with a toothpick, if desired. Separate squares on parchment so no squares are touching. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes or until edges are barely browned. Allow to cool; store in airtight container.
