Savory Pumpkin Almond Twists
A perfect summer meal to me is a giant salad with garden-fresh produce and homemade dressing. But in the cooler months, nothing could be further from the truth! While I’ll happily eat salad year round, a bowl of soup or stew is the epitome of comfort on chilly days. What’s even better than soup? The stuff you dunk in it, of course.
Soup served on its own always seems naked to me. Every good soup deserves a good “dipper,” like cornbread muffins or crunchy crackers.
My love for dippers sent me to the kitchen a few weeks ago to create these Savory Pumpkin Almond Twists, a delightful twist on bread sticks that pair perfectly with a warm pot of broth and veggies.
We all have our “desert island” foods—the foods we can’t live without—and one of mine happens to be almonds. That’s why I love working with almond flour every chance I get. Not only is it a low-glycemic and grain-free choice, but it also lends delicious buttery flavor to baked goods that would otherwise be lacking.
These twists look super fancy, but they’re actually very easy to form. The dough is forgiving. You can easily pinch cracks or breaks back together as you form the twists. I am not by any means a perfect baker, which is why I like working with doughs that don’t mind my fumbling fingers.
Pumpkin puree adds moisture to the dough here and also acts as a whole food egg replacer, keeping these twists egg-free and vegan. If you can get your hands on some good coarse sea salt, use that for sprinkling on top of the twists for greater visual contrast (although any type of sea salt will work).
Now what to serve with these savory herbed twists? Here are few recipes that make my mouth water:
- Moroccan Lentil Vegetable Stew (vegan) from Daily Bites
- Easy Pumpkin Soup (vegan) from Simply…Gluten-Free
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chili from Lexie’s Kitchen
- Vegetable Quinoa Soup (vegan) from Two Peas & Their Pod
- New Mexican Stew from Gluten-Free Goddess
Savory Pumpkin Almond Twists
Makes 8Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian herb blend or poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon Grade B maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- Sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, poultry seasoning, baking soda, and garlic powder.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin, maple syrup, and flaxseed.
4. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir or knead to form a cohesive dough. This will take a few minutes, but keep stirring or kneading and the dough will come together.
5. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
6. Divide each portion in half to yield 16 pieces of dough.
7. Roll each piece into a rope that is 5- to 6-inches long.
8. Lay 2 ropes side by side. Pinch the ends together and gently twist, pinching any cracks or breaks in the dough back together.
9. Place the twist on the lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
10. Sprinkle the twists with sea salt.
11. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and just firm to the touch.
12. Cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container.
Hallie Klecker is the author of Super Healthy Cookies and The Pure Kitchen, both gluten- and dairy-free cookbooks focusing on fresh ingredients and whole foods. She writes the recipe blog Daily Bites, where she shares her passion for cooking with whole, natural foods. Hallie is a certified Nutrition Educator and former personal chef. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest!
I recently learned how to make my own almond milk. Would the strained solids be able to be used as the almond flour? This recipe looks great!
thanks!
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Hallie Reply:
October 25th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
@Richard V, Most of the time almond pulp and almond flour work differently in recipes, but it’s worth a try if you’re adventurous!
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Amy Green Reply:
October 29th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
@Richard V, I don’t think it would work as flour but I’ve seen people incorporate them into dehydrated cookies.
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Ricki Heller Reply:
November 6th, 2012 at 11:49 am
@Richard V, If you dehydrate the pulp until perfectly dry and then grind it in a coffee grinder, it’s much more like flour. . . you could try that way.
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vegan AND grain free?! I am sold! Pinned!
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I made these tonight to dip into cauliflower soup. The boyfriend, who doesn’t follow have any dietary restrictions, and I gobbled them up!
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Jenny Reply:
October 30th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
@Jenny, They were also REALLY easy to do. thanks for the recipe!
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Are there any suggestions for an almond flour replacement due to nut allergy?
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I have been re-using my almond pulp as almond flour for the last two months. As richard v says, you need to perfectly dry it out (which is difficult – the only way that works for me is in my oven at 100 degrees centigrade overnight). Instead of a coffee grinder I whip it in my magimix thing. I have been using my “home-made” almond flour 1/2 together with 1/2 organic almond flour – with no problems. I have done this with almond bread and almond pancake recipes with no trouble. Note, the almonds I am using for my almond milk have the “skin” on. I have noted no adverse results.
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Amy Green Reply:
November 13th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
@leslie newhall, Thanks for sharing such detailed information, Leslie!
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Really super tasty and perfect with our soup tonight! Easy to throw together, and I opted for breadsticks, not twists. Loved them Hallie, thank you!
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