Fishy Crackers!

Look at what arrived in the mail today! Isn't it the cutest little thing?

When I heard Corban's diagnosis last Wednesday, I knew that his "Fishy Crackers" were going to be the biggest hurtle.  The boy loves his fishy crackers.  I have looked at various stores over the past few days and surfed the web, but have found no GF substitute for his beloved fishies.  However, I did find a tried-and-true gf goldfish recipe at Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom. She also provided the link to a website that sold these adorable little copper fishy cutouts!  I know I have said it many times already, but these are just the cutest little cookie cutters I have ever seen! 

The recipe she uses on her website was taken from Robin Ryberg's Cookbook titled  "You Won't Believe It's Gluten-Free! 500 Delicious, Foolproof Recipes for Healthy Living!" Now, since I am completely new to the whole GF thing, I obviously don't yet own this book. But I hoped Robin knew what she was talking about and planned to use her recipe as soon as I received the cookie cutter in the mail.

Cutter in hand, I hurried back to the house, asked Nathan if he would mind being on "Corban duty" for the rest of the night and went to work assembling the necessary ingredients.  It is a short list and a very simple recipe, so it wasn't long before the oven was pre-heated and I was on my way to being my son's hero! 

The Recipe goes as follows:

4 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
4 Tbs. Butter
3/4 c. Cornstarch
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

2 Tbs. Milk

Topping: salt, dried herbs or spices if desired

• Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

• Combine all the ingredients, except the milk, in a medium size-bowl. Mix until the mixture resembles a fine crumb. Add the milk and beat well.

• On a lightly greased surface, pat or roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness.  Cut into 3/4 inch squares or another small shape that you like.

• Prick the tops of the crackers with a fork and sprinkle lightly with your desired topping (I just used salt). Bake on the prepared baking sheet until golden brown and crisp, approximately 10 minutes (I cooked mine for 9). The crackers will be light and crispy, although barely browning at the edges. The bottom of the crackers will have a bit more color.

Here was my final result. 

Here they are nestled happily in Corban's fishy.

These little fishes have a great flavor! They taste so cheesy, and I can feel really good about Corban eating them because they are made with real sharp cheddar cheese, whole milk, and real butter.  There is a ton of protein and flavor in each of these little guys.

But, without a doubt, I made one very big blunder- I didn't roll the dough flat enough. These guys are thick! They resemble little cheesy fish biscuits more than crackers. And I can tell you, with the spotted coloring and the thickness, Corban was not in the least bit fooled.  He reached his hand hungrily into his fish, and recoiled as soon as he spied the "crackers" inside. He moved away and didn't look back. 

So, I will try this recipe again (like, as soon as I am done typing). But, this time I am going to make sure the dough is really thin, and I am going to add some food coloring so that they more closely resemble the goldfish his little taste buds are missing.

As a cheesy snack, these little guys taste great!  But, because I am trying to trick him into believing they are the fishy crackers he has come to love, I will definitely need a take 2.

Stay tuned!