So, every once in awhile I get a request for gluten free baking. And it sort of terrifies me. Gluten free flour, I really just don’t get it. Is it actually real flour? Why is it so gritty? Why does it scare me?
To be clear, I’m pretty good in the kitchen at what I know. I often don’t veer to far from my basics. While I love being creative, I don’t exactly try new things that are too far out of my comfort zone. And yet, a gluten free chocolate chip cookie request has come up from time to time and I do aim to please. Also, one of the best cookies of my life was from the darling Farmhouse Inn in Sonoma and it was gluten free, baked fresh daily. That one stuck with me. So I knew it was possible.
Challenge accepted.
To begin, I did some serious research. There is nothing worse than making a batch of dough and having it be a complete disaster in the oven (happened to me before). I quickly learned a lot of the challenges and frustrations with gluten free chocolate chip cookies is the grittiness of texture that comes from the gluten free flour. No one wants to eat a cookie that feels like sand in their mouth. Let’s get it nice and soft and smooth.
Ah, and a secret ingredient does just exactly that. You swirl in just a little cream cheese (!!!) and it takes that grit right out. (And no, you do not taste the cream cheese, at all). These cookies came together as easily as my infamous regular chocolate chip cookies and while they were hanging out and cooling on the counter I had four boys run by and swipe a few per usual. I waited in anticipation to see if they passed the test. If anyone is going to call you out on something being different it’s a five year old boy, am I right?
Not. One. Word.
Aside from asking for more.
Boom. Success!
GLUTEN FREEH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Recipe from My Gluten Free Kitchen
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cups good all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (omit if gluten-free flour blend has xanthan or guar gum already. Mine did!)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 ounces cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cups (12 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 egg yolks (room temp)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like to use a mix of semi and milk)
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, xanthan (unless flour blend already has xanthan or guar gum), baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, place the cream cheese, then pour melted butter over it. Add brown sugar and sugar and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and egg yolks (one at a time) mixing on low speed until well mixed.
Add the flour mixture that you set aside earlier, beating on low until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix on low or by hand, just until mixed thoroughly.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours and up to 4 days. (I only did about two hours originally and they were just fine).
When you are ready to bake, remove from refrigerator and let sit for about 15 minutes to soften enough for easier scooping. Preheat your oven to 375° drop by the TBS or cookie sheet onto your tray. Bake for 11-12 minutes. Let cool for a few and then transfer to a cooling rack if you’d like. (I always skip this step).
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Courtney
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Did I have one of these the other day? If so, I couldn’t tell the difference.