Crunchy Seeded Snaps

One of the wonders of travelling is that you can get to be so inspired by other “foodies”!

Recently we were in Byron Bay and had the great fortune of visiting Three Blue Ducks (see here) for lunch … we enjoyed the most amazing meal there (can’t believe how much we ate), and of course afterwards I spent time in their produce store buying a few precious items.  Whilst there I picked up a recipe card for Crunchy Nut Snaps and knew immediately I would make them when we got home.

I have since found out that this recipe appears in their second cookbook “The Blue Ducks Real Food” (see here), so if you happen to have a copy then I know you will be enjoying the fabulous recipes and cooking tips contained within.

But … back to the snaps!

Many of you would know that we have nut and sesame allergy in our home, so I can’t use those ingredients for anything I plan to have freely available for the family (Bryan and I love nuts but I keep those separate).  So to replace the nuts in the original recipe I used 220g each of pepitas and sunflower seeds (original recipe used 110g each of raw Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds and hazelnuts), and I replaced the sesame seeds with golden flaxseeds.  And whilst doing my recipe testing I did a batch incorporating some buckwheat and hemp seeds with the pepitas and sunflower seeds and that was great too.  So the message here is to use nuts and/or seeds that equals 440g for the first part of the recipe where you need to toast these ingredients.

I also tested the recipe using shredded or flaked coconut vs desiccated coconut and shredded or flaked is definitely better as you get more texture.

In terms of egg whites aim for a minimum of 70g and up to 140g (the more egg white you use, the sturdier your baked “snap” will be) … you will usually get 70g from 2 eggs, but if you have more a available (I always have extra in the freezer) then use those if you wish … to use up your yolks consider making some mayo (see here), custard (see here), or ice-cream (see here), or simply store the yolks in the fridge under a small layer of filtered water (to keep them moist) for up to two days until you are ready to use them.

Puffed rice is easily sourced these days from health food shops and some supermarkets … if you can’t find any, then I have also trialled this recipe using 3 x 10g slices of Puffed Brown Rice Crackers and simply crushed them with my hands.

And finally, the tin size.  This mix is BIG!  And I have tested it in three different tray sizes as follows:

1. 1 x single tray base measurement 42cm x 32cm x 1.5cm deep will give you a cracker with a depth of approximately 1cm;
2. 1 x single tray base measurement 38cm x 26cm x 2.5cm deep will give you a cracker with a depth of approximately 2cm;
3. 2 x large slice tins base measurement 30cm x 20cm x 3cm, putting 400g into each tin and baked them side by side in the oven.

The initial recipe aims for a cracker depth of 1.5cm, but I don’t have a single tray that allows that … hence the need to test the recipe using different options in case you are in the same position.  All versions taste exactly the same, but the thicker snap in the second option above is more like a slice, whereas the thinner one in options 1 and 3 are more like a cracker.  Personally I like the thinner snap, so it will come down to what tray sizes you have, and what you prefer.

Pictures of both the thinner and thicker snaps are below.

When breaking up the baked mix into the size “snaps” that you want, gather up the little bits that fall out and save them in a container to sprinkle over your brekkie, or over a green salad or baked veggies … amazing!

These snaps are delicious, incredibly easy to make, and will keep in a sealed container for up to a month.

Hope you decide to try them!

Gina @ The Passionate Pantry

Crunchy Seeded Snaps

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings: 800 g

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 220 g raw pepitas
• 220 g raw sunflower seeds
  
  
• 90 g shredded or flaked coconut
• 50 g golden flaxseeds or sesame seeds
• 30 g brown flaxseeds
• 30 g puffed brown rice
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes or 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp cracked pepper
• 1 tsp chilli flakes optional but nice
  
  
• 70 to 140 g egg whites see notes
• 100 g raw honey

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced, and place rack into middle of oven
2. Place pepitas and sunflower seeds onto a large baking tray and bake for 5 minutes, turn them over, and return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the seeds are lightly golden (it can take up to 14 minutes depending on your oven)
3. Put the seeds aside for 20 minutes to cool a little - set a timer
4. Turn oven off and open the door to let some of the heat out while you allow the seeds to cool
5. Once seeds have cooled for 20 minutes, preheat oven to 100 degrees fan forced
6. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and put aside (see notes on size of trays)
7. Place coconut, flaxseeds, puffed rice and seasoning into a large mixing bowl and combine
8. Place the egg whites into a separate clean bowl and whip until stiff peaks form
9. Place the egg white bowl onto a digital scale and add the honey to one side of the bowl (if you don't have a digital scale, place bowl on top of TM lid and weigh honey in)
10. With a soft spatula carefully fold the honey into the egg whites until you have a nice fluffy mix
11. Place toasted seeds into TM bowl and chop 4 seconds / speed 5, scrape and repeat 4 seconds / speed 5 (you don’t want to pulverise the seeds into a powder, just lightly crush them so there is still some texture)
12. Add the chopped seeds and egg white mix to the bowl with the remaining ingredients and lightly stir through to fully combine (it will look and feel like wet sand)
13. Place mixture onto lined baking tray spreading it out right up to the corners of the tray, using the back of a spoon to press into position and run across the top to level it
14. Place tray into oven and bake for 2 ½ hours until a deep golden colour
15. Remove tray from oven and allow to cool completely before breaking into shards and placing into a sealed container where it will keep for up to a month

Notes

This mix is BIG! And I have tested it in three different tray sizes as follows:

* 1 x single tray base measurement 42cm x 32cm x 1.5cm deep will give a cracker depth of about 1cm;
* 1 x single tray base measurement 38cm x 26cm x 2.5cm deep will give a cracker depth of about 2cm;
* 2 x large slice tins base measurement 30cm x 20cm x 3cm deep will give a cracker depth of about 1cm.

RECIPE UPDATE:

I make this recipe a lot ... and I have come to realise that if I use more egg whites than I originally suggested (i.e more than 70g) then the final baked "snap" it sturdier which I prefer, but if you have made this recipe already and like them just as they are then stick with the original amount of 70g. As I use a lot of egg yolks I always have plenty of egg whites in the freezer ready to use, so this is a great recipe to help use them up.

Over time I have also replaced some of the weight of the seeds with a combination of hemp seeds and buckwheat ... if you decide to do this too, just keep in mind you need a total of 520g seeds (the original recipe uses 220g each pepitas and sunflower seeds, and 80g total of flaxseeds) but you can use any combination of seeds that you like (i.e. the last batch I made used 160g each pepitas and sunflower seeds, 70g each hemp seeds and buckwheat seeds, and 60g flaxseeds).