Chili Chickpea Crackers

These crackers are a great addition to a mezze spread. They are a bit chewy, have a slight kick of heat, and are perfect with my new favorite dip of Whipped Feta (with roasted red peppers and Aleppo chili flakes).

Chili Chickpea Crackers

Makes ~15 crackers

2 ¼ cups (9 oz/ 250g) chickpea (gram) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (2 ½ oz/ 75g) toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne powder, or more to taste, or a  mix of chili powders such as Aleppo and cayenne
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
Extra chickpea (or all-purpose) flour for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 

2. Place all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Stir in the olive oil then gradually add 6-8 tablespoons cold water, a trickle at a time. Stir well, bringing the mixture together to form a smooth dough. 

3. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface. Roll to a thickness of ¾ in/ 1 cm, the dough may be very sticky so make sure to flour the surface and your rolling pin well. Once rollwed out, use a pastry cutter to stamp out 15 x 2 ¾ inch/69mm circles. Brush the tops with olive oil. 

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. 

Adapted from The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook by Salma Hage