Aww, cookie cookie now!

Welcome back! Let's do something with that almond meal that was left over from making your milk.

If you're anything like me, you sat down with a glass of your newly-made almond milk and thought how lovely it would be to have a freshly baked cookie to pair it with.

I will admit that I was having a little trouble deciding what to write about next, with all the delightful things that my boyfriend, the self-proclaimed King of Chicago, and I have been cooking up. However, my lovely friend (we'll call her the Nail Polish Princess, for now) settled the quandary when she sent me a message asking for a good cookie recipe. She didn't want just any cookie, though. She wanted one that was healthy, hearty, and low in sugar and fat. It's a good thing I'd been whipping up just such a treat. ;)

Going grain free certainly presents a textural problem when trying to formulate a cookie, since it's difficult to mimic gluten without using anything unnatural. Playing with substitutions - which we'll expand on another day - can be fun and rewarding when you get a spectacular result.

The basic grain free cookie recipe is really very versatile. I can't stress enough that cooking and baking in general is an experimentation process. If no one tinkered, we'd have no variation!

The basic recipe I use is:

• 1¼ c flours (combinations of nut, garbonzo, and root starches
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 5 Tbsp oil (coconut oil, applesauce, nut butters (ideally natural, and warmed))
• 3 Tbsp sweetener (honey, agave, stevia)
• 2 tsp extracts
• ½-¾ c additions (chocolate chips, cranberries, raisins, you name it)

The first couple of trial batches I baked up, I used mostly almond flour. The texture was similar to a coconut macaroon. It was kind of fibrous, and was very delicate after being baked.While using straight almond flour produces a delicious cookie, I wasn't satisfied yet. I found that a combination of garbanzo flour and potato starch gives substance and structure that a cookie needs, and lends a softer, cakey bite. This is my favorite cookie mix so far:

“Let's be Friends” Cookies – makes 18

Tools:

• two bowls (one large, one medium)
• whisk
• measuring spoons and cups
• cookie scoop (1Tbsp size)
• cookie sheet(s)
• parchment paper

Ingredients:

• ½ c almond flour
• ½ c garbonzo flour
• ¼ c potato starch
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 3 Tbsp apple sauce (room temp)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp agave
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp pandan extract*
• ¼ c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips**
• ¼-½ c dried cranberries

*Pandan extract is amazing. For those of you that have never had the pleasure, it's a flavoring used in South East Asian cooking. I'm not really sure what dishes it is used in, but it lends a unique flavor that mimics the buttery and golden flavor identified with most baked goods. If you can't find it in your grocery store, the local Asian market is certain to have it.

**Looking for a chocolate chip that's really friggin' good and still allergen free? I found these dairy, nut, and soy free chocolate chips from the Enjoy Life company at Whole Foods. If those won't do, carob chips might be something for you to try. Be mindful that while carob is frequently used as a chocolate replacement, it has more of a molasses flavor.

Procedure:

Line your cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper and set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the larger bowl, combine the flours, salt, and baking powder. Whisk the dry ingredients well, so that they are free of lumps.

In the smaller bowl, combine the oil, apple sauce, sweeteners, and extracts. Make sure to get this well mixed to insure even distribution. It's really important to bring the apple sauce to at least room temperature before assembling the ingredients. If it is cold, the coconut oil will harden quickly, and you'll have little chucks of coconut oil all up in your batter.

Speaking of making sure your ingredients are at room temperature, have you ever been making chocolate chip cookies, adding your eggs to the creamed butter and sugar, and it starts to look very wet and forms little pieces? Your butter, eggs, or both, were most likely too cold and it broke the emulsion that was created when creaming the butter and sugar. When your ingredients are at room temperature, you will get a rich and fluffy mixture. This principle is one that should be used in the majority of baking, whether you are using alternative ingredients or good old sugar, eggs and butter. If you are in a rush or found that you've forgotten to set out your ingredients, here are some tips: Place eggs in a bowl of warm to hot water and let them sit until they are warmed, about a minute or two, or just run them under the tap in your hand until they're body temp. For butter or coconut oil, measure out the desired amount and slowly heat it in the microwave, five to ten seconds at a time, until just softened and no longer chilled. If you are doing a stick of butter, rotate it to a different side with each addition of time. Coconut oil shouldn't need much time, considering it's melting point is 75 degrees.

Add your wet mixture to the dry and combine well. Fold in the mix-ins. Now you're ready to scoop! I have a small one tablespoon scoop that I just love, and I use it for all my cookies. While you certainly don't need one, it makes it a lot less of a hassle when compared to using a couple of teaspoons. Getting an accurate scoop will make sure that there is even baking and no one gets shorted on their cookie. Some flour combinations make a batter that doesn't spread much. If you're alright with your cookies being neat little mounds, excellent! Otherwise, you can roll the scoop of batter in your hand and gently flatten it before placing on the cookie tray. For an extra little bit of love, I gave my cookies a dusting with sugar before sending them to the oven. I think the next batch to try for will be snickerdoodles. ;)

Bake cookies at 350 degrees for ten to thirteen minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Once they are done, let them cool on the tray for five minutes before moving them to a cooling tray. Hooray cookies! Om nom nom! Store the cooled cookies in a air tight container at room temperature for up to two weeks, if they even last that long. ;)

Go and create! Please feel free to share in the comments section whatever different combinations you might come up with!