Cheese Louise

Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Grain-free 

Makes 30-40 crackers

Why  it’s delicious

Named after my sister Louise, who like myself loves everything cheese, it is lovely to know that we can have our cheese whilst remaining at our healthiest best. 

Certain hard cheeses, three of which I have chosen to include in this recipe, have more beneficial health aspects than others. Gouda, Edam, Emmental and Jarlsberg are all examples of hard cheeses that have good levels of Vitamin K2 which can help to lower risks of heart disease and certain cancers. 

On the other hand, if we are focusing on improving the healthy diversity of our gut microbiome, cheddar and parmesan are fine examples of hard cheeses that will help with just that plus they taste excellent in this cracker recipe. 

Eat cheese in moderation. Despite the glowing report above it is still advisable to eat no more than 2-3 thin slices of cheese a day. 

Helpful hints and tips

Choose the best quality cheese your budget will allow. The better quality cheese, the better the taste and the more beneficial the health qualities. 

You will need a total of 180 grams (6.3 oz) of cheese in total. If you prefer your cheese flavour more mild, add more gouda and less parmesan or if you are after a taste that is more sharp add more parmesan. I will leave the amount of different cheeses you combine to make your cheese mix up to you. 

Ingredients

• 180 g (6.3 oz) mix of cheddar, gouda and parmesan cheeses
• 30 g (1 oz) coconut flour
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp dried tarragon, optional
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt flakes to sprinkle 

Method

1. Preheat your oven at 145C (290F) and line a flat baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place the cheese into a small pot and melt on medium to low heat, stirring often to ensure the cheese does not burn. You want the cheese to be soft and fully melted but not burnt or coloured. 
3. You can also melt the cheese in the microwave, by heating the cheese in a microwavable bowl on high for 30 second increments, stirring between the 30 second intervals. Continue to heat the cheese for 30 seconds until melted. 
4. Pour the melted cheese into a cold bowl and add the coconut flour, nutritional yeast and baking powder. Add egg white and beat well with a wooden spoon and then using clean hands create a smooth dough. 
5. Place the dough on the baking paper lined sheet and place another large piece of baking paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out thinly to 2-3 mm (1/10th inch).
6. Score the dough using a sharp knife into bite sized crackers and brush the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt flakes. 
7. Place into the oven and bake for 15 mins before turning the tray to help ensure the crackers cook evenly. 
8. Bake for a further 5 minutes and then remove the tray from the oven and cut and break off the outer cooked crackers which should be golden brown, leaving the middle of the crackers which will need to be cooked a little longer. 
9. Bake for another 5 minutes to cook the rest of the crackers until evenly golden all over.
10. Cool the crackers on a wire rack and snap into their cracker shape once totally cooled. 
11. Store in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 5 days.