The spice jar I reach for most often in the kitchen is Ras el Hanout. It is a spice blend that literally means “top of the shop” or “head of the shop”, because it is the best spice mixture a merchant has to offer. Ras el Hanout usually contains 25-30 ingredients; however some blends contain up to 100 ingredients! It originated in Morocco and is used throughout the Middle East and North Africa to flavor fish, pastillas, couscous, rice, lamb…pretty much anything. The baseline ingredients for Ras el Hanout are usually ginger, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. I order mine from Zamouri Spices, which contains (in addition to the baseline ingredients) grains of paradise, lavender, ajawan seeds, kalajeera, galangal, oris root, rose buds and much more.
A few friends have recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, so I have been trying out new gluten-free recipes. I recently went to one’s house and wanted to bring over a snack she could enjoy. I decided to make some crackers flavored with Ras el Hanout. Not only are these crackers gluten-free, but the presence of Ras el Hanout means they are loaded with nutritional benefits. With so many spices it is impossible to name all the beneficial properties, but many of these ingredients are great for lowering blood sugar, nourishing the digestive system and preventing inflammation. I also added some nutritional yeast for extra protein, B vitamins and flavor.
- 1/2 cup sifted gluten-free baking mix of your choice (and extra for dusting)
- 1/4 teaspoon Ras el Hanout (and extra for sprinkling)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (and extra for sprinkling)
- 2-4 tablespoons water
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix all dry ingredients together well. Stir in the olive oil and then add water one tablespoon at a time. You will know that you have added enough water when a smooth dough forms.
Knead the dough until it is pliable and the ingredients are incorporated. Then, roll it into a ball, wrap in plastic and set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Dust your work area and rolling pin well with the flour.
After the dough has rested for 10 minutes, divide it in half, put half on the floured surface, and sprinkle with flour. Roll it out until it is as thin as possible (one time when I made these, I used a pasta roller to make an especially thin cracker). Cut the dough into squares, or use a ravioli press (as I did here) to make a decorative looking cracker. Prick each cracker in the middle with a fork and place on a lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, watching carefully as these can easily over-bake! Remove from the oven and allow them to cool and become crispy. Sprinkle with optional sea salt and Ras el Hanout. After they have cooled, you can keep them in a sealed container. If they get soft, pop them in a toaster oven for a few minutes until they crisp up again. I served these with fresh cheese and sliced heirloom tomatoes. I think they would be great with a dip like hummus.
I loooooooove Ras el Hanout and this sounds like a wonderful way to use it!
sounds very good have to give try
Ras el Hanout is fantastic and i use it a lot with lamb! YUMMO!
Ok, I need to find some ras el hanout asap!! Thank you for posting this!!
very tasty crackers, delicious appetizers for a party!
Sounds wonderful, I might have to get some ras el hanout!
Those spices sound amazing!
These look awesome and the spice sounds really interesting! Great job! And happy birthday to your mum 🙂
These look great! I'll give the crackers a try (though with regular flour as I don't have any gluten free kind) 🙂
Wonderful! I've never heard of ras el hanout before, and it sounds like an incredible spice blend. I'll have to get some (probably can find it at Kalustyan's in NYC) and make these crackers. Thanks for the great post and recipe!
@Miriam: Isn't it great? I put it in everything!
@foodlovee: Thanks! I hope you do 🙂
@penny aka jeroxie: Yum! It was meant to be put on lamb!
@Tasty Trix: Great! I hope you do!
@Jessie: Thank you! They were gone pretty quickly so I think people like them 🙂
@tastyeatsathome: Let me know how you use it!
@Vegetable Matter: They really are. Just the most perfect blend.
@Sanjana: Thanks! And I will pass on the birthday wishes! 🙂
@Rochelle: Regular flour is just fine. Experiment and let me know what you think!
@Nancy: Definitely get it! You can flavor almost anything with it.
Very talented. Looks great!!!
I've never tried Ras el Hanout, but I really like the sound of all those spices! Maybe I'll see if I can pick some up 🙂
Your friend is lucky to have someone so considerate of her needs! Looks delicious.
@Miranda: That is so sweet…thank you!
@Lauren @CoffeeMuffins: You should…you won't be disappointed!
@The Chickenless Chick: Aw, thank you so much. It isn't fun if I can't cook for the people I love!
Homemade crackers, this is great!
I read your about me, and your job(s) sound amazing! Do you have a degree in nutrition?
Oh this is so creative! Sounds great!
Wow, very interesting. I've never heard of Ras el Hanout before. Your crackers look so pretty!
Looks like the perfect snack! I'm hungry now..
Thanx for visiting my blog..u hav a nice blog with yummy collections…Crackers look perfect,thanx for sharing…
i love this 😀
i always have loads of ras el hanout in my covered, these biscuits are a great idea, cant wait to try them, well done, cheers from london
I'm touched by your kindness and thoughfulness for your friends who are suffering from Celiac Disease. They will always be thankful to you for sharing such a lovely recipe.
@FoodFitnessFreshair: Thanks! I should probably add that to my profile at some point:) I am currently halfway done with getting my MS in Nutrition. My undergraduate degree is in Health Education and Women's Health and I have a certificate in Nutrition Education.
@Simply Life: Thank you!
@janet: I hope you try it!
@experimentalculinarypursuits: That is always the best compliment!
@Vrinda: Welcome. And thank you 🙂
@carlo jesus carolino: I am glad! My friend loved them too!
@pityenlacocina: Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
@MaryMoh: Thank you Mary…that is truly the sweetest comment.
Ras el hanout sounds wonderful. I'll have to look for it…
I does not heard the name before!! Yummy… and too delicious one!!