Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever (Gluten Free)

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

A Few Notes:

For these you will need to line multiple cookie sheets with parchment paper and have multiple cooling racks out. These cookies need to cool for 11 minutes on the cookie sheet and each batch cooks for approximately 11 minutes so it's easiest to batter up a few cookie sheets and always have a batch cooling as one is cooking.

The parchment from batch to batch can be reused. These cookies are very thin and delicate so they really need that time cooling and the use of parchment paper to turn out well.

Nestles Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are gluten free so there's no need to spend a load of money on gluten free chocolate chips. Same deal with Trader Joe's brand chocolate chips.

For these cookies I specifically use Kirkland pure vanilla extract. If you use another brand the amount may need to be adjusted. For most of my baking, I use gourmet Madagascar vanilla extract which I buy by the 32 oz jug online, however, Kirkland works just fine here and is uber cheap and easily accessible.

Last note, this recipe usually makes about 30 cookies for me but it really varies as I just drop large spoonfuls onto the cookie sheets. You can make the cookies larger or smaller as you wish. Cooking times usually remain around 11 mins. And now the recipe ...


Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on a few cookie sheets and lay out a couple cooling racks per above note.

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients:

1 1/4 c white rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 c potato starch (not flour!) (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 c tapioca starch (Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 tsp xantham gum (Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together:

1 c salted butter, softened (2 sticks)
3/4 c organic brown sugar (the light form of this is usually darker than unorganic)
3/4 c white sugar

after the above is creamed together, beat in:

2 eggs
1/4 c Kirkland Pure vanilla extract (yeah, it's a lot)

after these are completely incorporated, add the mixed dry ingredients from above and blend until smooth. Then, fold in 2 cups (12 oz) Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips.

Drop mixture by large spoonfuls a few inches apart onto parchment prepared baking sheets.

Cook for approximately 11 minutes (until edges are brown). Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on sheet 11 minutes while the next batch cooks.

After 11 minutes of cooling on cookie sheet, remove cookies to cooling rack until completely cool and reuse the parchment paper for another batch.

Enjoy!

Banana Huckleberry Muffins

Banana Huckleberry Muffins

makes 12 muffins (I always double the batch for 24 and share)
brand preference I use in ( )

heat oven to 350 degrees. line muffin tin(s) with paper liners.

Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl:

2/3 c white or brown rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 c corn starch (Bob's Red Mill)
1/3 c tapioca starch (Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 tsp xantham gum (Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder (preferably aluminum free)
1/2 tsp baking soda

in a separate bowl blend with a hand mixer:

2 small very ripe bananas, mashed (or 1 1/2 large)
1 egg (preferably organic, free range)
1/4 cup salted butter, softened to room temp
3/4 cup whole milk

Incorporate the dry mix into the wet mix and blend until smooth and thickened.

Gently fold in 1 cup frozen huckleberries (you could substitute wild blueberries).

Fill each muffin cup almost to the top. As mentioned, a single batch will produce 12 muffins, a double batch, 24.

Bake until tops are well browned and toothpick comes out clean- approximately 30 minutes.

These are wonderful warm out of the oven with butter but are good cold too. If these are going to be around for more than a couple days, stick them in the fridge and reheat before eating. Enjoy!

Colada Hydrator & Coconut Milk & Coconut Chia Pudding

I whipped this up the other day when I was totally hungover from too many vodka crans. Between lots of cheese and this hydration shake I was good to go. I usually make my own coconut milk but you could substitute a high quality coconut milk if you don't want to bother.


Colada Hydrator for 2 or 3

2 cups ice
2 cups coconut milk (homemade or canned from mature coconuts, recipe follows)
1 can pineapple juice (8.45 oz Trader Joe's)
1 cup frozen pineapple tidbits (Trader Joe's)
1 tbs agave syrup (Madhava)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Makes about 4.5 cups.


Homemade Coconut Milk

5 cups distilled/filtered water
meat from one whole mature coconut (The brown shelled not Thai kind)
1 tbs Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste (Nielsen-Massey)*
2 tbs agave syrup
Small dash of sea salt (don't leave out, makes a big difference)

Place all ingredients in blender, preferably high speed and blend until meat is completely pulped with water. Pour mixture through a nut milk bag and into a bowl, squeezing all the liquid out of the pulp. Use right away or place in mason jars. Makes about 5 cups. Lasts about 3-5 days. This coconut milk is great for smoothies, for drinking straight and for making Coconut Chia Pudding.

*A note about vanilla bean paste: I've tried many brands and like Nielsen-Massey the best. As well, I use so much that it gets very expensive so it's handy that I can buy a 32 oz container off amazon for about $40 or so. I actually go through one or two of these a year easy! Vanilla as well as coconut are food groups for me. :)


Coconut Chia Pudding

 2 cups homemade coconut milk*
1/3 cup chia seeds (food grade- I buy mine off of Amazon)
2 tbs agave syrup

Place all ingredients in glass bowl and whisk together to incorporate. Let sit for about 15 minutes and stir again before placing in fridge. Let sit in fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight for flavors to fully incorporate and for chia to fully gel.

Coconut Chia Pudding has a texture similar to tapioca pudding but is very good for you because of the chia and coconut. It's great on its own or served with fresh sliced fruits like strawberries and banana. I love it but it's not for everyone. I suppose if you don't like slimy foods like tapioca you won't like this. But it's awesome if you do.


*note about substituting coconut milk: if you decide to substitute the homemade coconut milk with another coconut milk make sure you compensate by adding some vanilla bean paste and agave syrup if the milk you're using doesn't have these. Also, make sure the coconut milk is smooth and not too thick to hydrate the chia. Chia seeds absorb a lot of fluid!

Go Thundercats Goji Smoothie for 2

I hate the taste of goji berries so I tasked myself with creating an antioxidant packed smoothie that I would be more than willing to drink by the jar so here it is.

Go Thundercats Goji Smoothie

1/2 cup dried goji berries (Navitas)
1 cup distilled/filtered water (for soaking the goji berries)
1 cup fresh squeezed organic orange juice (4 small Trader Joe's organic oranges, juiced)
2 tsp maca powder (Navitas)
1 tsp camu powder (Navitas)
2 tbs agave syrup (Madhava)
1 cup frozen organic raspberries (Trader Joe's)
1 cup frozen pineapple tidbits (Trader Joe's)
2 tbs rice protein powder (Nutribiotic)

First you need to soak the goji berries in water until soft. This can take a half hour or longer so it's best to either do it the night before or throw them in the water right when you wake up. After they're done soaking, throw the goji berries with their liquid into the blender.

Next, I juice my oranges.*

After getting/making your orange juice throw it into the blender too along with all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. Makes about 4 cups.

*A note about oranges/juice: Usually I use a citrus juicer or do this by hand if I'm drinking it straight up but for smoothies I use a centrifugal juicer because it puts more pith in the juice and gives it a sweeter, smoother taste. If you don't want to go through the effort, I'm sure there are good orange juices out there but most of them contain flavor chemicals that they don't have to list on the label and the juice sits in a vacuumed vat for who knows how long before being packaged as orange juice "not from concentrate." Guess that's why the juice tastes exactly the same no matter what batch you buy from that brand. Scary. Gross. Fortunately vodka makes everything better, right?

At least shoot for organic if you're going to go for instant juice. To get 1 cup of orange juice it takes about 2 large oranges or 4 small ones. This morning I used 4 small oranges but when Costco gets their Valencia's in I buy at least a ten pound box a week even though they aren't organic. They taste so good and make me feel so great that I just throw caution to the wind.

Spiked Roasted Chicken w/Veggies

Had no idea I was going to a concert tonight and had planned a chicken dinner so having run out of time ... I have to tent this puppy until after the show.

Chocolate Cherry Superfood Shake for 2 or 3

Just whipped this up in the blender and while it's a work in progress it's pretty tasty and super good for you. This one doesn't have a pic yet but I will try to add one later. I put the brands I use in ( ) and always opt for organic where I can because it's the only way to ensure that the product isn't genetically modified or sprayed with msg etc. As you will see I'm a real Navitas whore among other things.

Chocolate Cherry Superfood Shake

In a blender combine:

1 1/2 cups frozen pie cherries (Willamette Valley Fruit Co)
3 small organic bananas*
2 tsp raw maca powder (Navitas)
2 tsp freeze dried camu camu fruit powder (Navitas)
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (Navitas)
1-2 cups enriched vanilla rice milk (Rice Dream)
2 tbs raw agave syrup (Madhava)
2 tbs rice protein powder (Nutribiotic)

Blend all ingredients together until smooth adding more rice milk as necessary. Pour into pint jars and suck up the supercharged goodness and feel good about the fact you just fed your brain and body mondo goodies leaving less room for the junk and more for immortality!

My batch made 4 cups but if you make smoothies regularly as you know volume can vary greatly.

*I have a friend that's allergic to bananas. If you are too, I'd suggest you substitute more cherries and a bit more agave syrup for the banana.
Enjoy. :)