Chocolate Chip Cookies...G-Free, Egg Free with the real taste!

There are so many Gluten Free recipes for cookies and many are specific to a certain brand of flour or are full of multiple expensive ingredients and too many steps. I decided to use my favorite cookie recipe with slight modifications to prove that you can make anything you love to eat with small changes.

There are other modifications you can make to suit your needs, such as removal of eggs or changing to vegan butter or chips. And you'll notice that my special ingredient to delicious cookies include the addition of butterscotch chips to add extra dimension and sweetness. They really help these cookies taste just like the real thing!

Charlese's Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)

MAKES 16 COOKIES

1 and 1/4c Gluten Free Flour of choice

1/4 tsp baking soda 

1/8 tsp salt

1/2c sugar

1/2c brown sugar

1/2c butter (or vegan oil substitute)

1 egg (*or substitute)

2 tsp vanilla

1/2c - 1c Chocolate Chips (I use milk chocolate)

1/4c - 1/2c Butterscotch Chips

Optional:

1/2c chopped nuts

*Egg substitutes: Use Egg Replacer from the box and mix as stated OR use ground Flaxmeal, 3Tbs water to 1Tbs Flaxmeal for each egg.

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Set oven to preheat at 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. 

Use electric mixer to combine the sugars and butter, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add egg and vanilla, but to not overmix.

Stir in chips and nuts.

Form into 16 balls and bake 22-28 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Can you do Fondue?

The short answer is YES! Fondue is amazing and delicious and old school comfort food that you share with your favorite friends. Go out for a night of fondue or make it at home...

Gluten Free eaters can safely eat at fondue restaurants, but have to be aware of the food being served. If you have problems with cross contamination, don't go. The pots they use are covered constantly in beer and other glutens. Recently at a fondue dinner I found out that they coat the cheese in flour for it to melt better with the wine or beer and they serve bread for dipping. To fix this, stress the fact that you cannot ingest glutens of any type and remind them for the cheese base to have no added flour or beer. It took longer to mix with the wine and separated since they prepared it wrong in the first place. Politely reminding your fondue server before mixing will help with this. Also, ask for corn tortilla chips and extra fruit/veggies for dipping.

Make sure all your boiling bases are also free of malt vinegars, beer, and thickeners and that the meat is not coated as well. Finally, when enjoying your chocolate course remember that cookie crumbs and crust flavored chocolate are gluten-ous, so go as plain as possible. Sometimes they light a high proof alcohol for effect, this won't affect most g-free eaters. Use strawberries, bananas, marshmallows and avoid the cakes, brownies, and other flour based desserts they serve for chocolate dipping! Most importantly, enjoy the cheese and chocolate indulgence...it's so tasty!



















At home, you have much more say in what you use. Trader Joe's has a non-beer based swiss cheese made just for fondue melting and chocolate chips for the chocolate that are all labeled Gluten Free. Making your own requires clean up, but way less worry about cross contaminations. And it's fun to invite your pals over for dipping!

Mac n Cheese!

I get a lot of questions about comfort foods and favorites. Many people ask if I miss them. There's very few things you can't make or find in a delicious gluten free version. The ones I can't find I am working on here. For Macaroni and Cheese-the ultimate comfort food, especially on these rainy days you can buy Amy's gluten free Mac and Cheese, frozen and microwaveable...or you can make it your way.

I decided to make it with brown rice pasta for extra heartiness and whole grain health. You have your choice of cheese...but use a melty texture no matter what cheese or cheeses. To make it Vegan or dairy free, head over to Whole Foods or Mother's for tasty vegan cheese. Now decide if you want stovetop or baked style mac and cheese. I decided to do both. 

Mac and Cheese Both Ways

2 c Gluten Free Pasta

6-12oz cheese of choice, grated or cubed for melty-ness

1/4 c milk of choice

2-4oz grated cheese of choice (optional)

Boil the pasta (2 minutes short of the package directions if you are going to make it baked too). Drain and rinse. Add the cheese. (I used Velveeta). Then slowly add your milk and keep stirring until your desired consistency. Either serve as is or...

Fill mac and cheese into 8x8 oven safe glass pan. Top with grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees until crusty and melted. You can also save this step for day 2 to warm up leftovers.

Use as a side dish or add chicken and veggies for a delicious meal!