Our Chocolate Chip Cookies

This weekend, we created a cookie that not only works with every single allergy restriction on our list, everyone that was here visiting for Laborgiving, loved them, as well!

Our Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dairy-free butter blend

2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla

4 egg yolks

2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour blend*

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. 

In large bowl, beat together sugars, butter and vanilla with electric mixer on low until well blended. Add egg yolks until well incorporated. In separate bowl, mix all purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well blended. Stir dry mixture into wet butter mixture. Add chocolate chips. 3 Use ungreased cookie sheets and place cookie dough about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake 7 to 9 minutes.  Let cool slightly then move to cooling racks. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

*This is our own blend, created by reading many different blogs for ideas and then using the ingredients that we had on hand. We finally had to give up on finding potato flour. It simply does not exist in our area. 

making flour

All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend

2 cups brown rice flour

2 cups white rice flour

1 cup tapioca starch

1 cup potato starch

1/3 cup oat flour**

3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 Tablespoons Ultra Gel Starch 

** So here's the big question: Are oats truly gluten-free? Read on for the answer.

The short answer is YES — non-contaminated, pure oats are gluten-free. They are safe for most people with gluten-intolerance.

The main problem with oats in gluten-free eating is contamination. Most commercial oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye. 

http://www.thekitchn.com/the-oat-conundrum-are-oats-glu-137074

Most of the above flours can be purchased at the local grocery store. We were able to get both types of rice flours at Target and Ralphs. Both are available pretty much everywhere. We picked up tapioca starch at Seafood City. It was the cheapest flour ingredient we purchased at only $1.87 a package. 

The oat flour, xanthan gum and Ultra Gel we used were all from Honeyville Farms. When we went to Sprouts, we found everything we were looking for, except potato flour. We should have gone there first, instead of last. Amazon is also a good source for anything that you can't find locally.

We also purchased Smart Balance dairy-free butter blend at Sprouts for almost $2.00 less than at Ralphs so shopping around makes a big difference. Just over $4.00 instead of $6.00 sure sounds better to me.

We also baked a couple of crust-free pumpkin pies. No crust, so we just used 9" square pans. One with and one without dairy and eggs. Both worked. Next time, we will definitely use double egg yolks instead of egg replacement. I am so glad that that is an option for us.

Today, we finished off the pumpkin we had left over, baking up a pan of gluten free pumpkin bars. Did you know that Betty Crocker's Cream Cheese Frosting is dairy free, soy free and gluten free? Happy times!