Free Real Snacks by Lara Ferroni

out the dough until it is about ⅛ inch thick. Place the dough onto prepared baking sheets. Using a pastry wheel or knife, cut the dough into 1-by-1-inch crackers, but don’t separate them. Prick each cracker with a fork. Repeat with the remaining dough.
    Spray the crackers with olive oil spray and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
    Bake until the edges of the crackers are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool the sheets of crackers completely on a wire rack before breaking them into individual crackers.

    For gluten-free Wheat Crackers (though not really wheat), replace the whole-wheat flour with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment for easier rolling.
    These crackers are naturally vegan .

cheesy squares
ABOUT 70 CRACKERS
    These crackers are packed with cheese flavor, even if they aren’t bright orange. For a traditional cheddar flavor, use a good sharp cheddar (I like Beecher’s Flagship). Or go a little crazy and use a stronger cheese like Camembert. For an even cheesier flavor, sprinkle with Cheese Powder ( this page )
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    4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
    2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
    ½ cup (60 grams) whole-grain spelt flour or white whole-wheat flour
    ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose or white spelt flour
    ⅛ teaspoon Onion Powder ( this page )
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    2 tablespoons milk, plus more for brushing
    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
    Combine the cheese, butter, whole-grain spelt flour, all-purpose flour, onion powder, salt, and milk in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade. Pulse to form a ball, 1 to 2 minutes. If the dough appears oily from the cheese, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
    Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is ⅛ to 1 16 inch thick. Brush the dough with the milk. Using a pastry wheel or knife, cut the dough into 1-by-1-inch squares. Prick the center of each cracker with a skewer. Place the crackers on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least ½ inch between crackers.
    Bake until the crackers are just slightly brown on the edges, about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. The crackers will crisp up as they cool, so be careful not to overbake them. Cool the crackers completely on a wire rack.
    For gluten-free Cheesy Squares, replace the whole-grain spelt and all-purpose flours with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment for easier rolling.
    These Cheesy Squares are packed with cheese and don’t translate well without it. For a vegan alternative, follow the vegan instructions for Cheesy Fish ( this page ), but cut into little squares.
savory crackers
ABOUT 50 CRACKERS
    My high school boyfriend was obsessed with Chicken in a Biskit crackers. It’s not surprising since they are packed with flavor and MSG. These crackers skip the MSG but still have tons of flavor from the herbs and spices
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    ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
    ¼ cup (30 grams) rye or whole-wheat flour
    ¼ cup (30 grams) chickpea or whole-wheat flour
    Pinch of baking powder
    3 teaspoons cane sugar, divided
    2 teaspoons salt, divided
    2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, divided
    4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into pieces
    ¼ cup (2 ounces) warm milk (about 120°F)
    1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
    ½ tablespoon Onion Powder ( this page )
    ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder ( this page )
    ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
    ½ teaspoon dried sage
    Pinch of paprika
    Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
    Sift the all-purpose flour, rye flour, chickpea flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 2 teaspoons of the nutritional yeast together and set aside.
    Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.