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I have been talking lately about my wife and my journey into a gluten free diet. She began because it was suggested it might help her sinus issues. She believes she has felt some benefit in her joints. Many say eating gluten free will relieve inflammation. I have been joining her in this eating style for almost as long as she has but I have yet to notice any real differences in the way I feel. The blogger in me, however, loves the challenge to try and adapt the recipes I know so well to a gluten free equivalent. These Gluten Free Chocolate Holiday Cookies are my first attempt at a cookie. I have to say these cookies are great and I am not sure anyone would know they are gluten free if you had not told them so.
Gluten Free Chocolate Holiday Cookies
I now have a full shelf of gluten free flours. Before I began to make this recipe, I googled chocolate cookie recipes because I wanted to see the different flours used in the various recipes. I would have to say the different flours were all over the board. I am not sure I could see a lot of consistency. That is interesting because normal baking is typically called a science. The reaction of different ingredients is so particular when baked. The site I came across that I was so informative was a summary of gluten free flours for different uses on The Dusty Baker. For the moment, this is the most authoritative site I have found with real insights into baking.
I ultimately will reserve the science to my own baking experiments. For these Gluten Free Chocolate Holiday Cookies I found the recipe on The French Pixie. I even adapted this recipe and I had not tried it before. For my cookies, I used a combination of sorghum, tapioca and all-purpose gluten free flour. The French Pixie’s recipe called for either millet or white rice flour in lieu of the all-purpose flour. Her recipe was also a little unclear on the use of tapioca flour or starch. I have seen a lot of recipes call for a tablespoon or two of tapioca starch. Her recipe had a whole cup so I assumed she was referring to tapioca flour. It was a good guess because the texture of the cookies was perfect. The texture was so close to the gluten equivalent that I would go with the recipe I came up with if you want to try a gluten free cookie.
The cast of characters.
Ingredients
The building of the chocolate cookie dough beginning with the creaming of the butter and the eventual addition of the dry ingredients.
Creamed Butter and Sugar and Eggs Added
Dry Ingredients Added
The scooped out cookies on the baking tray, and then, the addition of the holiday candy center.
Chocolate Batter Scooped on Baking Tray
Chocolate Holiday Candy Added
The Gluten Free Chocolate Holiday Cookies.
Gluten Free Chocolate Holiday Cookies Plated
Gluten Free Chocolate Holiday Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter softened
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Whole Large Eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Sorghum flour
- 1 Cup Tapioca Flour
- 1/2 Cup All-purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- Holiday candy as needed
Instructions
-
In a stand mixer - or with a hand mixer - combine the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Cream until this mixture is well combined.
Add the eggs to the wet batter one at a time, and mix after each addition.
Add the sorghum and all-purpose flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. The dough will be a little wet but plenty firm for handling.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a small ice cream scoop, form little balls. After scooping on to the baking tray, press in one holiday candy into the center of the ball and make sure it is indented into the cookie dough.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes.
Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Serve and enjoy!
You just melted my heart, Peter! These cookies look AMAZING! Thanks for the shoutout, and for being so awesome in playing with the glory that is blending your own gluten-free flours. I really should update a bit with what I’ve discovered since then. Means so much to me. Happy holidays!
Thank you Jacqueline, I really liked the look of the cookie. I would love to hear what you have learned since you first made these cookies.