Pulp crackers – rich in fiber!

Hello guys! I am back!!!

These last few months have been a roller coaster. This is my last semester in my PhD program and I was full time writing. I never realized under how much stress I was until I finally defended my dissertation. It felt as if I took a heavy load off my shoulders. I can’t tell you how much better I’m sleeping now! And my bread-creative mind is starting to function again! I have this “to-bake” list that I carry with me everywhere and every time I have an idea, or I see a bread I want to make, I write it down. Welp… I haven’t written anything down in the last few months (I still have a long list of breads I want to make).

There’s this thing about me, when I’m anxious I crave weird things. And I had been craving horchata for the longest time!

Note: Do not mistake with Mexican horchata, which is a different beverage made with rice and milk.

Spanish horchata is a vegetable milk made from tiger nuts (also known as chufa seeds) typical from the south-east of Spain (Valencia). Chufas are naturally sweet with a very distinct flavor. A cold glass of horchata is one of the best beverages for hot summer days! I bought a small packet on amazon and I made my vegetable milk. It’s very easy to make, the only thing is that the seeds are very hard and dry, so you need to soak them for at least 24h (best results after 48-72h). Then put them in your blender with water and strain the mixture!

I was so happy with my horchata! Plus, tiger nuts are rich in resistant starch, which is a type of starch that is not digested and counts as dietary fiber (yeah!). With ½ pound of seeds, I made about 40 oz of this vegetable milk aaaand I had a bunch of leftover pulp!

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Why you should use leftover pulp

The pulp is rich in dietary fiber too, so I didn’t want to throw it away because it’s the healthiest part. Throwing the pulp away (or cereal bran, fruit peel etc.) is like finding a diamond full of dirt, keeping the dirt and throwing the diamond away. Crazy right?! So, I used the pulp to make crackers! I had enough to make lots of crackers and they can last a long time in an airtight container 😊

The reason I am posting this recipe is because all of us, at some point, might have some “edible leftovers” that are packed with nutrients, but we toss them because we don’t know that to do with them. Not only this recipe will help you to use valuable leftovers, but also to reduce food waste.

Let’s make some crackers!

This dough is super easy to make, you don’t have to knead too much, just enough to have a good ball of dough. This might be one of the few cases were developing the gluten network very well its not crucial. You can also add whatever spices or seeds you like to the dough. And, of course, you can adjust this recipe to any type of pulp you have. You can use almond pulp, cashew pulp, okara… Or you can switch it for any cereal bran or fruit peels… Your choice!

In this recipe I use butter because I was looking for that flaky texture but if you don’t want to use butter, substitute it for shortening or any vegetable oil. If you want to make the crackers healthier, you don’t have to use any type of fat, maybe just a bit more water. But the crackers won’t be as flaky.

The only requirement here is to be able to make a nice dough ball. Not too sticky, not too dry. That’s it, that’s my secret

Start by mixing flour and the rest of the dry ingredients and then add the pulp and the butter.

Then blend the butter with the flour and pulp. You can use a pastry blender, a fork or your hands, whatever is more comfortable for you. I did it by hand.

You should have small pieces of solid butter

 
Then start adding the cold water. Do it little by little, controlling you don’t add too much. We’re not looking for a wet dough.

Knead the dough for a few minutes and with a rolling pin roll it on parchment paper to your desired thickness. My crackers were about 1/5 of an inch (0.5 cm). The thicker the crackers, the longer the baking time, just keep that in mind.

With a knife or a cookie cutter cut the crackers. Trim the edges and roll the dough again on another piece of parchment paper. By doing this you don’t need to transfer the crackers and mess their shape. And remember, you can use parchment paper several times before you discard it. You can do this as well using silicone baking sheets.

With a fork or a toothpick prick the crackers so during baking they won’t puff.

You can brush the crackers with oil or egg if you want, I didn’t. Sprinkle your favorite toppings and bake the crackers!

I like to sprinkle coarse salt or black pepper, but you can use whatever you like.

Baking time: it depends, bake the crackers at 400 F (205 C) and after 5-7 minutes (less time if your crackers are thinner) Check the crackers, if they’re not ready let them bake a bit longer but keep an eye on them. When they start getting some color they’ll be almost ready! Don’t let them bake too long or they will get hard and the taste might not be good.

NOTE: keep in mind that because of how the heat is transferred in your oven and the thickness of the crackers, some might take longer time than others. So don’t worry if you need to take some out of the oven while others are not fully cooked yet.

Now, go make some hummus and enjoy these crackers!