Chocolate chip cookies

From Ars Cookbook

Submitted by katespace

Easy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. We've run these by a whole lot of tasters, and most can't tell the difference (and the ones who can only know there's something "different" about them). This recipe was adapted from the Bette Hagman recipe (which was given to me by Aurich... thanks!). See notes for the vegan version.

Before making the cookies, you'll need to have Featherlight baking mix on hand. It consists of:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon potato flour (not "potato starch" or "potato starch flour")

(I make a bigger batch of this and keep it around)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups Featherlight mix
• slightly less than 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 scant tsp salt
• One 12 oz. package of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Have two ungreased cookie sheets handy.
2. Cream butter, Crisco, and sugars.
3. Beat in the vanilla
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (Featherlight mix, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt).
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.
7. Stir in the chocolate chips.
8. Spoon the dough onto the cookie sheets in approximately 1 1/2 teaspoon amounts, leaving 3" of space between cookies (less for the vegan recipe).
9. Bake for 7-9 minutes (we've found 9 usually works for us). For crispier cookies, bake longer (9-11 minutes).
10. Cool slightly, then transfer to cooling racks.

Makes about 5 1/2 dozen 2" cookies (no lie!).

Enjoy!

Notes

1. For the chocolate chips I use "Tropical Source", as these are guaranteed gluten free; other manufacturers may coat the chips in flour to prevent sticking together. If in doubt, call the manufacturer.
2. You can add 1 cup of chopped nuts if you so desire (they go in with the chocolate chips). I don't like nuts, so I don't.
3. The original recipe calls to add things in an order different from that which I'm used to (i.e. adding the salt and baking soda to the wet ingredients). I found no difference in the end product doing it in the traditional order, so that's the order I've put here.
4. This recipe is very easy to adapt to vegan cooking as well. Substitute in 1/2 cup silken tofu for the butter, and EnerG Egg Replacer for the eggs (follow the instructions on the box). The cookies don't spread out when they bake, but they're very moist and tasty!