My Mom's Ginger Cookies (Gluten-Free)

After the success using chickpea flour for the chocolate chip cookies, I moved on to the ginger cookies my mom used to make.  Stan and I have both made the recipe and people just go nuts over them.  So now the challenge-would they still drive people nuts if there was no wheat in them?  That would be a big affirmative!  We were coffee hosts at church this morning and we heard comments like, "These cookies are so good!" and "You're kidding me-these aren't gluten-free!"  Yay!

So here is my recipe:

My Mom's Ginger Cookies

1 cup softened butter

1 2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 eggs

2 cups chickpea flour

1 1/3 cup tapioca flour

2/3 cup potato starch

4 tsp soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp salt

Of course use safe-for-you ingredients.  Preheat oven to 375.  Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and molasses.  Beat til fluffy.  Stir together the rest of the ingredients and stir into butter mixture.  Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment.  (Don't skip the parchment, makes all the difference)  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Check, if cookies need a bit more browning turn pan and give it one more minute.  Remove from pans and cool.  Makes about four dozen.

"The Best Cookies I've Ever Eaten!"

That's what my gluten-free friend said after tasting my latest chocolate chip recipe.  Then she qualified her statement by saying it might be because she hasn't had a real cookie in over a year and a half!  At any rate they are yummy.  Sydney eats one every time he walks by the kitchen.  I decided, after finding a very delicious chickpea tortilla chip recipe that I needed to try this wonderful food in other baking, hence the upgraded cookie.  I have to say, this is the closest I have come to the taste of a real cookie in the four years I've been dealing with these allergies. It's a lot like my former recipes, with some small alterations.  Be sure to use safe for you ingredients, what works for me may not work for you.

Chickpea Chocolate Chippers

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup chickpea flour

1 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup potato starch

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 bag (2 cups) chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts, if desired (I leave those out-allergic)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Stir together dry ingredients and stir into butter mixture.  Stir in chips and nuts.  Drop by teaspoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  I set the timer for 8 minutes, then turn and finish with 2 more.  

Cool and inhale!

Chocolate Chip Snack Cookies

First, let me apologize for not having posted recently.  I went back to work, and I work in the linens department of a major department store.  It's very physically demanding, so I am beat beyond my expectations when I get home.  Thank goodness my sweet hubby has stepped up and taken over some of the household chores in his retirement!  I've been cooking still, and have a couple new things to share with you.  The first is a snack cookie.  I had been making a similar recipe into waffles, but I have less and less time to bake, and waffles are very time consuming.  They were great, though, because I could take two squares, spread some slightly sweetened cream cheese on and make a yummy sandwich.  Then I could have a nice sweet, probably better for me, while everybody else is eating vending machine cookies and coffeehouse desserts.  So I set out to turn them into cookies that I could bake en masse on a big sheet and be done in about half the time.  Soooo here it is:

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Snack Cookies

2 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
3/4 cooking oil (whatever you're not allergic to)
3/4 C sugar (not much, but enough to fool myself into thinking I'm indulging)
3 1/4 C flour (my current mix is equal parts sorghum, tapioca and potato starch)
4 tsp baking powder (cornstarch free, of course-I use Hain)
1/2 tsp salt
2 C chocolate chips
1/2 C DRY instant mashed potatoes (I always use Honest Earth because it thickens fast and has no strange ingredients)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat eggs, oil, sugar and milk.  Stir together dry ingredients, except chips and potatoes.  Stir into egg mixture.  Stir in potato powder and chips.  This will start to thicken-wait for it.  Using a large cookie scoop, place on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes.  Cool.  I spread them with the sweetened cream cheese, put two together sandwich-style and wrap individually.  I store them in the freezer.  I love hardened chocolate chips so I like to keep the cookies cold.  They stick to your ribs better than the average cookie, too!

I think I have perfected a pasta recipe!  Most recipes contain corn or rice, which I cannot have, so I set out to make one up with my safe flours.  I want to make it one more time before unveiling it-hopefully not months from now-sorry fellow bloggers for the dry spell.

Sugar Cookies-Yay!

Baking without wheat, rice or corn is a pain in the neck. You really need the qualities of these flours to have a successful turnout. I can't tell you how many failures I've had. I have a Tupper full of failed chocolate chip cookies on my counter right now waiting for me to make them into crumbs for cheesecake.

I don't ever have enough snacks-if you knew me, you'd think I didn't need any more snacks, but I get REALLY sick of the short list I can eat, and I have low blood sugar so I need to be able to grab something quick. I eat a lot of protein, but sometimes that blood sugar drops anyway.

This morning I decided to try my hand at sugar cookies. Hubs is not fond of chocolate but he is willing to eat my "safe" foods if they taste good. I had to add the coconut flour, after I did my test bake, to keep the cookies from spreading. I think they are delicious!

Wheat and Rice-Free Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream:
1 Cup butter
1 Cup sugar

Add:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth.

Stir together:
1 Cup millet flour
1/2 Cup potato starch
1/2 Cup tapioca flour
1/4 Cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 tsp salt

Stir into butter mixture. Roll into 1" balls and dip in sugar. Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 9 minutes, turning pan partway through if needed for even browning. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for a couple of minutes before taking off cookie sheet.

Enjoy!

You will notice, and I've probably mentioned it, but I use no xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is grown on corn and is not very compatible with my digestion, so I avoid it.

Chocolate Drop Cookies

One thing I am NOT allergic to is chocolate. Yes, there is a reason to live! This cookie is pretty tasty, adapted from a recipe that won me a blue ribbon in the Montana Winter Fair.

Chocolate Drops

1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
1 egg
1 C sour cream (if you're allergic to corn, check the label-many brands add corn starch)
1 tsp vanilla
1 C potato starch
1 C coconut flour
2/3 C cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 T milk
2 C chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg. Add sour cream and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and stir into butter mixture, add milk, then add chips. Using a cookie scoop, drop on greased cookie sheets. Pat down gently-cookie will not spread, so they have to be flattened a bit. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, remove to cooling surface. Cookies are tender, but the freeze very well. I put them in a plastic container in the freezer and take one or two out at a time to eat.