Cashew Pepper Crackers

I love snack food (if that wasn't obvious from my beet chips post), but unfortunately most snack food is synonymous with junk food. When my husband and I started eating a natural diet I missed the chips and crackers of yore. Luckily, adversity (I know it is so sad to call lack of chips and crackers adversity) breeds creativity. As it turns out I'm not the only one missing my cheese crackers, there are lots of versions of this recipe out there. If you enjoy todays recipe then might I suggest purchasing the No Flour Cracker and Flatbread Cookbook from the Purely Twins. It has 12 terrific gluten free and egg free recipes and the e-version is only $5 bucks. If you purchase it through the link to your right then I receive a commission and I greatly appreciate your support! If you want to read more about the book then head over to the Purely Twins post (and pick up there other great cookbooks while your there). Now let's get down to the cracker making. 

Cashew Pepper Crackers

Gluten Free, Vegan
Makes ~70

1 red or orange bell pepper 
1.5- 2 cups ground cashews*
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbl lemon juice
1 tsp garlic granules
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)

1. De-seed the bell pepper and place into a food processor with all of the ingredients except the ground chia seeds and ground cashews.
2. Puree until smooth and then pour into a mixing bowl and add the chia seeds. Mix
3. Add the ground cashews to the bowl. The amount you need will depend on how large your pepper is, so I like to start with 1.5 cups and then add more as needed. The batter should be very thick and be able to be molded some.
4. Once the batter is ready spread it onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place another piece of parchment paper on top and use a jar or small rolling pin to roll the batter to 1/4 inch thickness. 
5. You may be able to pull back the top parchment paper now and score the batter into small squares with a knife, however sometimes the top paper sticks, if this is the case then just continue with the next step and after an hour or two of baking you should be able to lift it off easily and score it then.
6. Bake for about 8 hours in 170oF. After about 8 hours, pick up the parchment paper and flip the crackers over, then bake for another 2 hours or until the crackers are completely dry. 
7. Let them cool and then break apart along the lines you scored.
8. These store great in the fridge, I wish I could tell you for how long but we always eat them in a few days. 

Mix

Put the dough onto a lined baking sheet. Notice how thick it is.

Cover with another piece of parchment and roll it out, then peel back the parchment

Score into 'crackers'

Bake unit crispy

Notes and Substitutions

• *You can buy 'cashew flour' at Trader Joe's or just make your own by grinding cashews in a food processor until they are very fine, just don't do it to long or you'll have delicious cashew butter!
• I have made this recipe with just cashews and peppers before and it was still great.
• You can use other types of nuts or seeds for this recipe, of course it will change the taste. I think brazil nuts or macadamia nuts would be a great replacement. 

What is your favorite type of crackers?