Graham Crackers

Sometimes my kids really, really miss their old staples.  And while I have been known to say  “I know you want a graham cracker, but how about a carrot instead?!”, it is somehow much more satisfying to say “Yes, for a special treat, you may have a graham cracker!”.  I have a suspicion that there are other families out there that would find life much easier if they had a Paleo version of this kid favorite.  So, here it is!  The recipe may look a bit daunting, but I assure you that if you follow the steps (freezing the cut-out dough being key), they are actually quite easy to make.  Yields about 3 dozen.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup palm shortening (I prefer Tropical Traditions or Spectrum brands)
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp Coconut Flour
• ¼ cup Tapioca Starch
• 2 cups Blanched Almond Flour
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Cream of Tartar
• ¾ tsp Baking Soda

1.    Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Give them a bit of a stir to combine.
2.    Stir the palm shortening and honey together in a bowl with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
3.    Add the dry ingredients to the palm shortening and honey mix.  Work in until fully incorporated and a stiff ball of dough holds together (it might be helpful to get your hands in there).
4.    Start with about half the dough and roll out between two sheets of parchment paper.  Aim for slightly less than 1/8” thick.  Peel off the top sheet of parchment paper (save it to reuse because you’ll probably roll out the dough in 3-4 parts).
5.    Use a straight blade Pastry Wheel or Pastry Scraper to cut the dough into 2”x2” squares.  Remove the edge pieces that don’t form squares (add them to the dough left to roll out).
6.    Do not try and peel the dough off the parchment paper.  Instead, grab the entire sheet of parchment paper and place on a cookie sheet (or other flat surface).  Put it in the freezer for 1 hour (or until you have some free time to bake it). You can stack the 3-4 sheets of parchment paper with scored dough squares on them in the freezer.
7.    When you’re ready to bake the graham crackers, preheat the oven to 300F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8.    Pull the dough squares out of the freezer one sheet at a time.  Peel the frozen squares off the parchment (they should come off easily) and place on your prepared baking sheet, spaced about ½” apart.
9.    Let the squares sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes (they thaw quickly!).  Then, prick all over the surface of each cracker with the tines of a fork.  Aim to prick about half way through the dough.
10.  Bake for 13-14 minutes, until golden brown.  Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire cooling rack.
11.  Enjoy!

Do you need help finding any ingredients?  Check out  Important Pantry Items for the Paleo Baker.