Delicious, savoury and extra pretty!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, which means I got some products I’m using for free. All opinions in this post are my own and I’m very careful with accepting sponsored posts. See full disclaimer here.

How do you feel about crackers? I wasn’t a huge fan of the basic version when I was younger, but I’ve since tried enough interesting cracker variations that I’m now sold on this particular savoury snack, specially when paired with a good dip. This time I decided to experiment with dried calendula and thyme, because calendula is not only a very useful, medicinal plant (calendula salve is a staple in Slovenian households), but also edible.

Calendula or pot marigold (not to be confused with Tagetes marigold, you need Calendula officinalis) has bright orange flowers and both the leaves and flower petals are edible. The flower petals have a sort of bitter, slightly spicy taste and are often used in salads or as a natural colourant for yellow cheese and go quite well with thyme. This recipe was made in collaboration with Rastoča Jablana, a Slovenian eco healthy food shop, so I used their roasted macadamia nuts as a base for these crackers along with all-purpose white flour. They’re quick and easy to make and look extra pretty because of the calendula orange.

Macadamia crackers with calendula and thyme recipe

Ingredients

• 150 g (1.2 cup) white flour
• 100 g (0.75 cup) ground roasted macadamia nuts
• 150 ml (0.6 cup) water
• 5 tablespoons dried calendula
• 5 tablespoons dried thyme
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Prep time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C (392 °F).

Chop or grind the macadamia nuts in a blender. Put the flour, ground macadamia nuts, dried calendula and thyme, sugar and salt into a bowl, then add olive oil and water. Stir with a spoon, then knead with your hands to fully combine the ingredients. The dough should be smooth, but not sticky (add more flour if sticky and more water if it’s falling apart).

Prepare a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper and roll the dough into a long, thin cylinder. Cut the dough into circles of desired thickness and spread them apart on the tray. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the crackers feel dry and crunchy.

Keep the macadamia crackers with calendula and thyme in a closed tin or a glass container for up to 2 weeks and serve with a dip of your choice. Enjoy!