Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

It hardly ever happens for me this way, but the first time I tried to transform my chocolate chip cookie recipe into a gluten-free version, it was bangin'. I'm up here posting it now while I still remember what the heck I did. As a bonus, I was reminded that it was my neighbor's birthday today. Lucky me! I had tasty treats ready to bake! He was happy with his plate of cookies.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 and 3/4 cup plus 2 TB Jovial Foods Gluten-Free Pastry Flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 TB granulated sugar
2 flax/chia eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini bittersweet chocolate chips

*Prepare your flax eggs first as they have to sit for 5 or 10 minutes to set.

Flax/chia egg
-1 TB flax and chia blend mixed with 3 TB very hot or boiling water equals 1 egg.

You will need 2 flax/chia eggs, so combine 2 TB flax/chia blend with 6 TB very hot or boiling water and allow to set for 5 or 10 minutes. If you can't find a blend, just using ground flax seed will do fine. The same ratio and time applies if using just ground flax seed.

Instructions:

*In a medium bowl, sift together the pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

*In a large bowl, cream until fluffy the butter and sugars. Add in the flax/chia eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

*Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture and mix until just combined.

*Add in the mini chocolate chips and mix until combined. You might have to use your hands.

*Refrigerate about 30 minutes to an hour before baking. The batter can be refrigerated for a couple days as well. I baked some without refrigerating the batter and they were fine. they just spread out a little more, so if you do that you might want to leave a little extra room in between the raw cookies on the baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

*Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.

*Dip 1 TB of cookie batter, shape into cookie form and place on baking sheet, leaving at least an inch in between cookies.

*Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes

Makes about 30 cookies

I am VERY happy with this recipe. I thought about replacing the butter with ghee, since I tolerate ghee better, but the butter was sitting there so beautifully on my counter from where I was going to make honey cupcakes with buttercream icing for a party but then decided I didn't feel like it, that I just had to use it. I have no regrets.

Now on to anxiety and the suggested reading for my kindred spirits dealing with it. There are two other books besides the one I talked about in my last post that really helped me out. "10% Human" by Alanna Collen and "A Mind of Your Own" by Kelly Brogan, MD.

"10% Human" is unique in that biologist Collen based this book on peer review journals. It's all science. She talks about the experiments that have been done on mice and their microbiomes, the value of good bacteria, the dangers of having an imbalance of good verses bad bacteria in your gut, and the health implications of such. Gut health is a hot topic these days. This book is phenomenal if you want to get in to the nuts and bolts of it. I own several copies of this book so I can lend it out and still have one to reference. I thought I was a pretty healthy eater, but I totally changed my eating habits after reading this book and have felt much better because of it.

"A Mind of Your Own" is a refreshing account of the possibility of restoring mental health through diet and exercise. Dr. Brogan started out as a standard western medical doctor then psychiatrist, prescribing various drugs and psychotropics for our increasingly common ills. Then she realized that something wasn't right about loading us up with drugs when her own health started failing. She now runs a psychiatric practice that treats women with anxiety and depression through dietary and lifestyle changes. She no longer prescribes psychotropics and has a very high success rate in guiding her patients back to a state of mental health.

I like it that Brogan gives a list of supplements that can be taken but says to take it with a grain of salt since we don't really know enough about the efficacy of taking vitamins and such. She says you can try it, but don't rely on it. Let's see what you're eating and how you're spending your day. She got me back to practicing Kundalini Yoga, which has been so wonderful for me. I highly recommend it. She also got me paying attention even more to what I eat and weeding out inflammatory foods. Think of "10% Human" as the why it's broken and "A Mind of Your Own" as the how to fix it. 

There is one thing that neither book talks about that was key for me. Homeopathy. Once I started applying homeopathy to my situation, things really started to come together. I had less and less waves of anxiety. I cannot recommend Joette Calabrese's blog enough. The protocols that she teaches are phenomenal. Joette is an advocate for healing the gut. Why avoid all these foods your whole life? Just heal the gut! "How do I heal my gut," you ask. Homeopathy. It takes time, but it works.

This whole conversation reminds me of a song. Anyone remember the S.O.S. band?
Take Your Time. Do It Right.

Every little thing that I've come across in my journey back to health has been an important addition to my little ever-expanding tool box. I hope you find some new and useful tools here too.

And if you have time, check out this cool Tiny Desk Concert I came across today. It inspires me even more to follow my joy.