Exciting news – I’ll be at the P Street Whole Foods Market tomorrow with 2ArmadillosCo!  They will have stations set up so you can try every flavor, and a few will be partnered with other foods – including my chickpea crackers!  The tomato-basil flavor was so good I tried the same recipe with their rosemary-olive oil, and created a tomato & herb ricotta spread to complement them for the tasting on Saturday.  I planned to stop there, but…

A few nights ago I got to visit Union Kitchen, where the 2Armadillos chickpeas are roasted, seasoned, and packed by hand with love. These guys really do it all by hand – first the chickpeas are soaked, then roasted, then covered in seasoning, and roasted again to lock in flavor.  Here’s the process, in pictures:

Cinnamon toast is their latest chickpea flavor, and an idea struck: what if this cozy, cinnamony chickpea were made into a cracker?  What if that cracker was paired with a cinnamon-vanilla ricotta spread I’ve been slathering on everything from toast to tortillas?

Unsurprisingly, the answer is: a sweet, crunchy treat that’s still loaded with protein and fiber.

The recipe is below, but if you’re in Dupont, come by the Whole Foods Market from 4-7pm for a sample and a lot of smiles – see the flyer here.

Gluten-free cinnamon chickpea crackers

Ingredients:

• 2 c 2ArmadillosCo Cinnamon Toast Chickpeas
• 1 c cashews
• 1/2 c rolled oats
• 1/2 c cornstarch
• ~1/2 c water

Directions:
In a blender, grind the first 3 ingredients until the size of crumbs.  Add cornstarch; pulse to combine.  Drizzle in water while blender runs a little at a time.  Dough should be sticky enough to form a ball. Place onto a non-stick cookie sheet and roll thin with a rolling pin or glass. (I put a piece of waxed paper on top so nothing stuck to the pin!) Use a pizza cutter to score into squares, sprinkle salt on top.  Tested trick: sprinkle water around the outside of the dough so crackers bake evenly!  Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crackery.  Break into squares.

Cinnamon-vanilla ricotta

Ingredients:

• 1 c ricotta cheese (I use the real thing, made with whole milk)
• 1 Tbsp honey or sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cinnamon
• dash nutmeg

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together in a bowl with a fork until spices are evenly distributed.  Spread.  Enjoy.