Choc-Chip

I'm going to share with you, my Choc-Chip Cookie recipe, gluten-free style. I've found when I bake my new Simple Bread, I can slot my cookie making in, after I've kneaded the bread. Because this recipe requires refrigeration for about an hour, before baking.

I like to find ways I can double up my baking in the oven. The bread hogs it first, then the cookies get their turn, last. This way, I only have to clean the bench ONCE after everything is done!

One bowl wonder

What I also like about my cookie recipe is, its not such a tough dough, I can do everything in one bowl, mixing by hand. I'm not trying to be a purist, or anti-technology. I'm just plain, lazy! It's that simple. If I only have to clean one bowl, one bench and one spoon afterwards, I'm extremely happy.

I might have to use my arm muscles a bit, but once you're over forty, that's actually a good thing! Because if you don't use it, you lose it, quicker than any time in your life. It also makes that first warm cookie out of the oven, all the more rewarding too.

So onto my cookie recipe. Any gluten free flour can be used in this recipe. All except for coconut flour, as that's a real moisture sucker. Besides, it already has desiccated coconut in it, to give the cookie texture.

Ingredients:

125g softened butter (I use, regular salted)
1 cup sugar (half raw, half castor - use whatever you've got)
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2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
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1 cup white, Gluten Free plain flour (I buy mine from ALDI)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
optional 1/8 teaspoon xanthum gum
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3/4 to 1 cup choc chips (to taste)


(I find the cookies don't really need the gum, so try it without, at first. If you want extra congealing factor, add the gum)

1. Place first part of ingredients, above the asterisk, into a bowl. Beat.
2. Add second part of ingredients to bowl and beat again. (Image above).
3. Add dry ingredients in the third section, and mostly combine.
4. Finish by adding choc chips and mix until all dry ingredients are combined.
5. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

Ready to go

6. When oven is free, set to 160 degrees celcius, fan forced. 180 if not.
7. Grease and line 4 baking trays.
8. Use a teaspoon to take about a walnut size of dough and roll into ball.
9. Position on trays so they are not touching, as they will spread when baking.
10. Fill all oven racks with trays (3 in my case) and bake for 8 minutes.
11. Turn trays and also alternate top to bottom, bake for another 8 minutes.
12. Keep setting timer for 8 minutes and rotate trays. Total cooking time will be approximately 32 minutes, but all your trays won't stay in that long. Add your extra tray when space becomes available, because you will remove trays as each top one, reaches a nice golden brown colour. Like below:

Done and delicious!

13. Leave to cool on trays for five minutes then transfer to rack.
14. Makes between 38 to 42 cookies.

My kids love to eat these straight, or their favourite is dunked in a cup of hot chocolate. I pack these in my daughter's lunch box for school, and I also like to take some if we journey into town. If you're an active person or child, these are treats worth having in the house on a permanent basis. They're a little bit sweet and a little be filling, so you won't be reaching for worse things during the day.

If we go longer than a few days without these in the house, we crave far sweeter things. Because we're active people. We eat proper meals too, these are just handy if you've been extra active. Which we always seem to be.