Sprouted Black Sesame Seed Crackers

These have now taken 1st place on my 'favourite crackers' list!
All that plant-based calcium from the sesame seeds and extra nutrition from the sprouted ones! The added sprouts seeds make the crackers crunchier and lighter than the regular Sesame Crackers. I think that the dark flax, rather than the golden flax, also gives a different crunchier texture.

With cultured almond, chives & dill cheese

With almond butter & a little honey

This recipe will make 2 trays of crackers. It's basically double the plain Sesame Crackers recipe with added sprouted black sesame seeds.
Soak and sprout the black sesame seeds a few days before you need them. I let them sprout for a couple of days.

3 days of sprouting

4 days of sprouting

Time:

Soaking time: 10-12 hours or overnight
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes (spreading onto the sheets is the longest part)
Dehydrating time: 20-24 hours at 118°F (48°C)

Recipe:

You will need:

2 cups whole sesame seeds, soaked overnight
8 tablespoons ground flaxseed (I used dark flax here, since these were going to be darker crackers)
8 tablespoons maple syrup
8 tablespoons water
*1 cup sprouted black sesame seeds (sprouted beforehand)

*I've made these crackers adding just 1/2 of black sesame sprouts and other times anything up to 3 cups of sprouts. (1/2 cup of black sesame seeds yields about 2-3 cups of sprouts, depending on how long you let them go.)
The longer you let the seed sprout, the lighter in colour they become, because each time you rinse them they give off some of their black colour. The most I've let mine sprout is about 4 days. Less is better I think.

How to:

Soak the sesame seeds overnight in plenty of filtered water and the next morning drain and rinse them. Soaking nuts and seeds is always important because it reduces the enzyme inhibitors such as phytic acid, activates the seeds and renders them more digestible AND enhances the bioavailability of the nutrients.
Yep, soaking is good. If you want to leave them in soak for longer, change the soaking water.

Soak the sesame seeds overnight

Rinse & drain

Add all the ingredients to the food processor (I use a Magimix), except for half the sprouted black sesame seeds, and blend together for a couple of minutes until the sesame seeds are broken down a little bit. The creamier you make it, the smoother it will be to spread. Leave some texture though as that's what gives these crackers their nutty attraction! Mix in the rest of the sprouted black sesame seeds by hand so they have that lovely speckled look!

Put the ingredients in the food processor

Blend everything together for a couple of minutes.

Leave some texture

Spread the mixture onto two dehydrator sheets. It'll be quite thick. My Sedona trays are 29cm x 35cm. I like to have different sized crackers; mini-sized ones for snacks and slightly bigger ones for spreading plant-based cheese onto! I've been getting 72 crackers on one sheet; 8 across and 9 lengthways.
If you want to make them thinner, just divide the mixture onto three sheets. Be careful to make sure it's not too thin though. If it is, you might end up with holes, because as the crackers dry they shrink a little.

Spread the mixture out onto two sheets

It'll be quite thick = crunchy!

Score the crackers before dehydrating.

Use a pizza or pastry cutter to score it or just run a spatula down and across to create the lines. I used a spatula here and you can see it left nice lines.

Pop the trays into the dehydrator and dehydrate for the first 2 hours at 128°F (53°C) and then turn the temperature down to 115°F (46°C) or anything up to 118°F (48°C). The definition of 'raw' is not cooking above 118°F, however Ann Wigmore, the Queen of the raw food movement, said in her books that it's OK to dehydrate for the first 2 hours at a slightly warmer temperature. If you're not bothered about the raw aspect and need them ready in a shorter time, then dehydrate at 128°F.

SInce these crackers are quite thick, you might have to let them dehydrate about 6-8 hours before turning them over. Mine get turned over according to whether or not I started them in the evening or the morning.
The earlier you get them off that dehydrator sheet and onto the mesh one, the faster they will dry.
You can do this easily by covering the crackers with another sheet, then flipping it over. Now you can peel off the dehydrator sheet that's attached to the crackers.

Pop the trays into the dehydrator.

After 20-24 hours your crunchy crackers are ready!

Yum! Ready to go into a jar. Keep the lid on to make sure they stay crunchy.

Once you have removed the sheet, pop the crackers back into the dehydrator and leave them until they reach the desired crunchiness. The amount of time really depends on your dehydrator, the thickness of the spread and how chewy/crunchy you want them. Even the weather can have an effect on the drying time. I've noticed that a rainy day and lots of humidity in the air can make a difference.
22-24 hours at 118°F seems to be the perfect time with my dehydrator.

They are delicious as a snack on their own but also go really well with vegan cheese as the slight sweetness compliments the sharp cheesy taste but they're also delicious with a sweet topping!
Enjoy! xx

With cultured almond cheese

Sprouted Black Sesame Crackers