Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies #1

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies Experiment #1 - made dough May 31, 2019 from Meaningful Eats

I am fortunate enough not to have any wheat or gluten allergies so I don't really do gluten-free baking. But, once upon a time, I came across a recipe for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies that I wanted to try so I bought a bag of gluten-free flour.

And, like nearly every time I do something like that, I didn't make the recipe shortly after I bought the ingredient and ended up moving it with me, unopened bag of gluten-free flour and all. Since I'm facing another move and I didn't want to move it again, I decided to start using it and went back to the recipes I'd pinned earlier that prompted the purchase of the gluten-free flour in the first place.

First up is this recipe for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. My bag of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour already had xanthan gum in it so I didn't have to purchase xanthan gum separately. From what I'd read about gluten-free baking, some of the concerns are with texture as it can be gritty if not used properly. You can get around this with several tricks, including letting the dough sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the liquid really absorb into the dough.

I underestimated the power of that suggestion as I went right from making the dough and forming it into dough balls to putting them directly into the freezer. Freezer vs refrigerator isn't the same thing since freezing the dough will literally keep them "as is" whereas refrigeration will allow more liquid absorption and flavor development.

On the whole though, the texture wasn't that bad. There was a slight grittiness but it was okay. I was less enamored of the flavor. It wasn't bad or anything but there was something I couldn't put my finger on. I'm not sure that in a blind taste test, I would've identified this as gluten-free as it held up in looks and texture like a regular chocolate chip cookie with wheat flour. But, taste-wise, not sure this would be my favorite. Whether that was due to it being gluten-free or not, it's too early to tell. I have more experimenting to do with gluten-free flour. Stay tuned.

1 stick or 1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour that contains xanthum gum (I used Bob's Red Mill), 7.5 ounces
1/4 cup almond flour, 1 ounce (can substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When melted, whisk constantly as butter foams then the solid particles begin to brown on the bottom, 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add milk, brown sugar and granulated sugar; whisk to combine. Add the egg and vanilla; whisk to combine.
4. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the dry ingredients until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Cover the bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Portion into golf-ball-size dough balls and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Evenly space dough balls on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden and the middles are no longer raw or shiny. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.