Eat Well, Be Well, Live Well

The sweet tooth makes another return!

But first a word about gluten-free baking…

These cookies pack a decent amount of fiber and protein because I don’t believe in making gluten-free anything solely for the purpose of eating gluten-free. It’s true, I’m not allergic to gluten nor does it appear I have an actual intolerance to it. My attempts to eat mostly gluten-free stem from my readings and growing understanding (belief?) that the gluten in today’s modern–heavily GMO’d–wheat taxes our digestive systems and promotes inflammation; inflammation: the precursor to all major disease including cancer and heart disease.

However, if you simply replace regular all-purpose flour with rice or tapioca flour in your GF baking, you’re still eating something with little to no nutritional value. (If you read the ingredient lists on nearly all of the gluten-free, all-purpose flour blends currently on the market, you’ll see rice, tapioca and/or potato starch at the top of the list.)

These delicious cookies are more of a soft, melt-in-your-mouth kind of cookie–moist, relatively high in protein (almond meal and walnuts) and fiber (coconut flour) and plenty sweet using only a fraction of the sugar used in the average chocolate chip cookie recipe.

(If it’s a chewy on the inside, crisp on the edges kind of cookie you’re after, stay tuned. In the next week or two I’ll be posting a recipe for a completely allergen-free, oatmeal, raisin and chocolate chip cookie that boasts a chewy interior and crisp edge.)

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 16-18 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup raw cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup almond or coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped*

To make:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together flours, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg, then beat in the sugars, vanilla extract, coconut oil and “milk.” Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop the dough in balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly using your hand. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the top edges of the cookies are lightly golden but the insides of the “cracks” still look doughy. Do not over bake! Let the cookies sit for 1-2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to continue cooling.

I think these are tastiest while still slightly warm, but they keep well for 1-2 days in an airtight container (once fully cooled!).

*You can substitute 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats for the walnuts. Your cookies will have more fiber but less protein.