Not long ago I made my first batch of cranberry rosemary crisps and when I shared a photo of my finished product there was quite a bit of interest. So I thought I’d make them again and share it here for anyone with a desire to try! It all started with boxing day lunch. My fella had given me some delicious unpasteurized goat cheese, imported from France, and Raincoast Crisps crackers as part of my Christmas gift. So we were enjoying a fruit and cheese arrangement for lunch. I was looking at the crisps thinking how uncomplicated they were. “I can make these!” I decided.
My initial thought was to try and make them on the dehydrator but through my searching I found a baking recipe that seemed easy enough to try. Realizing I had most of the ingredients on hand I decided to give it a go. I picked up the things I still needed and got ready to bake crisps.
The original recipe called for buttermilk, but as we try and steer away from cow dairy in our house I made a substitute using almond milk and my homemade apple cider vinegar (more on that later!). With that put together, I mixed the dry ingredients in a large bowl, added the “buttermilk”, sugar, honey, all the flavorings and stirred. Pretty simple!
I have a rather long, narrow loaf tin that I thought would work well for this project and it did! Once baked, I pulled the loaf from the tin, cooled on a wire rack, then put it in the freezer. The next step would be to slice the loaf into thin slices before baking again. A chilled loaf would be easier to slice, but cooled to room temperature would work as well I’m sure.
After a couple hours in the freezer I pulled the loaf out. This is where I recruited some assistance. Curtis is far better at tedious, detailed things then I, so I asked him to give me a hand with the slicing. He did great! Cutting thin, fairly consistent pieces until the loaf was all cut up. Try to keep them as thin as you can. This can be frustrating! So don’t be afraid to ask for help like I did!
Place as many slices as will fit on a large, parchment lined baking tray. Send them into the oven at a balmy 310 degrees F for 30 minutes, flipping after 20. They should brown and crisp right up, even slightly curl, like the ones you buy in the store. My first batch was baked at a slightly lower temperature and I found most of them to be slightly chewy (which was still delicious!). You will have to play with your oven, as no oven seems to bake the same, to find the ideal time/temperature to reach that perfect cracker consistency.
I’m not sure how much Raincoast Crisps cost where you are, or if they are even available to you for that matter, but for me they are too pricey to be anything other than an occasional treat. Never mind the fact that they contain cows milk in them, which I mostly stay away from.
So here it is! An easy, dairy free, essentially vegan (aside from the honey), affordable crisp that will make your mouth happy and your bank account even happier!
Enjoy and all the best in 2017! x
Dairy Free Cranberry Rosemary Crisps
Ingredients
- 2 C all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 C “buttermilk” (see note)
- 1/4 C brown sugar
- 1/4 C honey
- 1 C dried cranberries (my preference over raisins)
- 1/2 C chopped pecans
- 1/2 C raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 C sesame seeds
- 1/4 C ground flax seed
- 1 tsp dried rosemary (1 Tbsp fresh rosemary can be used instead)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the “buttermilk”, brown sugar and honey. Mix. Add the dried cranberries, pecans, raw pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed and rosemary. Stir until just blended.
Pour the batter into a 11 x 4 inch loaf pan, sprayed with nonstick spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 55 minutes, until golden. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Place in freezer to chill for around 2 hours.
Once chilled, preheat the oven to 310 degrees F. Slice the loaf as thin as possible and place slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake them for about 20 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10. They are ready once they are crisp and deep golden.
note: “Buttermilk” recipe
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (white vinegar or lemon juice will work too)
Enough almond milk to add to the apple cider vinegar to equal 2 cups total liquid.
Whisk ingredients together and set aside for 5 minutes. Separation may occur and is normal. Stir and use.
Inspired by dinnerwithjulie.com recipe.