Flax-seed Crackers

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Flax seeds are tiny powerhouses of nutrition.  They are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and soluble and insoluble fiber. I buy whole seeds and grind them in my trusty coffee grinder. Ground flax can be used in many baking applications, such as muffins, breads, brownies, and crackers.   Whenever I have made something with ground flax, I am always amazed at how bread-like is the final product.

The final mixture for this product is paste-like and sticky.  I discovered that I should wet my fingers before spreading out the crackers to avoid club fingers. The final product is crunchy and makes a good vehicle for nut butters, dips, and tuna or salmon salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup ground flax seed

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbs garlic powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 cup water

2 tbs whole flax seed (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine the flax seeds, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Add water little by little until the mixture forms a paste.
4. On a silicon mat or parchment paper lined pan, spread the mixture out to 1/8th of an inch. I used my fingers, but you can use a spoon or a rolling-pin. I remove the ragged edges so they won’t burn.
5. Sprinkle the tops of the “dough” with the whole flax seeds.
6. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the “dough” to the desired size.
7. Cook the dough for 15 – 18 minutes.  This varies depending on humidity. Keep them in the oven until they are crisp.

Coconut Flour Cheesy Biscuits

I was making some sloppy joes and needed something to pair with the meal.  I had already made my smothered kale, but I wanted to try something new.  I have tweaked this recipe and I think I got it just right.  Let me know how you like it!

Cheesy Coconut Flour Biscuits

Bakes at 400 degrees

Makes 8 biscuits

 

Ingredients:

4 large eggs room temp

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/3 cup sifted coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a medium sized bowl mix together eggs, coconut oil, salt, onion powder, garlic powder well.

2. Sift the coconut flour and baking soda into the wet ingredients

3. Stir together until well blended – this is sticky stuff.

4. Fold in the cheese.

5. Using either a table spoon or a medium sized cookie scoop,  drop onto a greased cookie sheet.  I covered mine with parchment paper.

6. Bake at 400 degree for 15 minutes.

Baking with coconut flour can be tricky. It’s thirsty and different brands require different amounts of water.  I made my biscuits with Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour. If the dough is too dry, I would try adding a small amount of water or cream until it becomes more pliable.

Coconut Flour Peanut Butter Muffins

I had a craving for something sweet. I thought I would try my hand at some peanut butter muffins with coconut flour. I have used coconut flour to make pancakes and 3-minute microwave cupcakes, but never in actual baking.

Coconut flour absorbs a lot more liquid than traditional wheat flour or even almond flour. Also it can be quite heavy and needs to be sifted in most recipes. Because of this, even though coconut flour is expensive, it does go a long way. I purchase Bob’s Red Mill brand organic through amazon.com. It has 8 grams of carbs and 5 grams of fiber per 2 tbs.

I also used Xylitol as the sweetener, which I also purchased through amazon.com. I like xylitol much more than other sugar alcohols, such as erythritol or maltitol. It neither irritates my stomach like maltitol, nor does it have that cooling effect of erythritol.

Overall, these muffins are moist and rich, with a prominent peanut butter taste and a pleasant coconut note in the background.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/3 cup xylitol
2 tbs coconut oil
2 tbs natural peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sifted coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:

1. Add the eggs, xylitol, coconut oil, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt into a bowl and beat until smooth.

2. Sift coconut flour and baking powder into the mixture and mix until smooth.

3. Scoop mixture into a greased muffin tin.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes on a rack placed in the middle of the oven.

5. Remove when the tops of the muffins are lightly browned.

6. Consume with cream cheese or butter.

This makes 6 muffins.