Reinventing Goldfish Crackers
/Who here has a kid that does NOT like Pepperidge Farms goldfish crackers? Anyone? Bueller? That's what I thought...
Those tasty little buggers (ahem, crackers) are totally addictive. Even I've had trouble stopping myself from eating the whole bag. Kids love them because they're small, they're shaped like fish AND they're super salty (about 10% of your child's daily intake of salt).
What you'll need: The Supplies
Old cheddar cheese
Butter
Rice flour
Xanthan gum or guar gum
baking powder
baking soda
milk
Many years ago I had a friend with a severe allergy to MSG (monosodium glutamate) - the stuff they add to Chinese food, which makes the flavour slightly addictive. She told me that any ingredient labeled "autolyzed" or "hydrolyzed" contained naturally-occurring form of MSG. And lo and behold, our tasty little fishy friends contain this flavour enhancer.
Although the dangers of MSG have been debunked, there's still some stigma attached to the "crack of the food world," isn't there? Since then, I've made sure to read labels - it's not so much that I think this tiny amount is going to harm my kids in some way....but why does it need to be there in the first place? Why can't we just bake with flour and cheese?
This information, coupled with the fact that my daughter is now eating mainly gluten-free, I decided to look around for a healthier version of these crackers. This recipe is perfect! The crackers turned out tangy, salty (but not too salty!) and crispy. My girls actually declared that they were better than the store-bought version, which makes me happy :)
If you're hoping to try these yourself, here are a few tips:
1) You'll need a goldfish cracker cutting shape. You can find one on Amazon and a couple on Etsy, but my handy husband made me one with a little bit of sheet metal.
2) Even with a cutter, you will slowly die of boredom cutting one million tiny fish out of this dough. I eventually gave up and just used a pizza cutter to make square cheese crackers. I've decided that the little fish will be a special treat :)
3) If you're doing gluten free, follow the recipe exactly. Beware that the dough is extremely crumbly, and you have to be careful how you transfer the fish onto your baking sheet. If gluten's not an issue for you, there are other recipes on our Pinterest board (I haven't tested any of these, so can't vouch for them!)
4) Stand guard of the oven - seriously! These little guys cook in about 5-6 minutes. 10 seconds too much and you'll end up with burnt fish.
5) Use a good quality cheese. I used an old cheddar with no added "modified milk ingredients." The flavour and texture will be so much better!
Happy Fishing!
Disclaimer: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links
