Thursday, March 6, 2014

Parmesan Crackers (or Gluten-Free Crackers)

If you have real chunk of parmesan cheese in your fridge, run to it now. You are lucky. Hold it closely to your chest and read on. If not, you may want to run to the store now.

A few months ago, we picked up a packet of some parmesan snacks as a treat for my cheese-loving son. They looked like crackers but when I looked at the ingredients, it was a short list: parmesan cheese. 

That's it. I was shocked. They were incredible. 

And they were high in calcium and protein for my little guy. They were also perfectly salty and satisfying that the small handful of crackers was all you needed.

I was determined to figure out how to make them just like those cute little crackers in the packet because although they were delicious, they were expensive and hard to find. 

I tried baking them on a cookie sheet and they turned out good as thin crisps to serve with salad but they weren't the nice little cracker that was portable.

I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to make them perfect. I finally figured it out one day as I was putting away my baking sheets and I saw it- the mini muffin tin! That was what would work to make the perfect cracker.

Then my obsessive-self worked on using different quantities of cheese to figure out the perfect amount to make that perfect cracker.

Here it is- the perfect parmesan cheese cracker: great for packing as a special school snack, serving with salads or soups or topping with fancy tomato chutney.

You may not forgive me for this one. Entirely addictive.

Of yeah, they are gluten-free, naturally. 

Parmesan Crackers
If you don't have a mini muffin tin, use a larger muffin tin (increase amount of cheese) or just bake on a cookie sheet in little mounds. There is no need to grease the tin as the cheese has enough fat to release easily.

Real chunk of parmesan cheese, grated on large hole grater (approx. 1 cup to get started)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Pack 1 teaspoon measure with grated parmesan and then spoon into each mini muffin tin section.
3. Bake for 6 - 6 1/2 minutes, watching closely at end where it just slightly changes colour.
4. Remove from oven. Let cool at least 30 seconds before removing each with the tip of a knife or spatula onto paper towels. Let cool. 
5. When cool, store in sealed container.