The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe... No Really

I thought I'd kick off this blog with a recipe I am so excited to share.  I am something of a cookie snob.  I spent a year developing a gluten filled chocolate chip cookie recipe before I got married.  I finally found what I think is the perfect mixture, and I am constantly asked for the recipe.  My husband claims he married me in part because of my cookie recipe, and he often uses the cookies as incentive prizes at work because people ask for them. 

Well, fast forward a few years, and I find out I have celiac disease.  I still made my regular cookies all the time, but I felt a little jealous that I couldn't join in.  So I set to work developing a gluten free version that would be just as good.  I'll be honest, I still miss my delicious glutenous version, but these are a very close substitution. 

Now, when I make these gluten free cookies, I still have people ask for the recipe.  I laugh and ask them if they happen to have brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and xanthum gum handy.  I am a little snarky at times, and I love to see the reaction...

To start, I make my own baking flour to use in all my baking recipes.  It is as follows:

Gluten Free Baking Flour Mixture

1 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 cup White Rice Flour
2/3 cup Potato Starch (NOT Potato Flour)
1/3 cup Tapioca Starch

I usually double this batch and store it in a jar in my cupboard.  This recipe is more than you'll need for the cookie recipe, so don't just dump it all in.

Don't worry, I'll add other delicious recipes to help you use up the rest of the mixture.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

3/4 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup White Sugar
1 cup Butter
1 Large Egg
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp xanthum gum
2 1/4 cup Gluten Free Flour Mixture (See Above)
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream sugar, butter, and egg.  Add the other ingredients minus the chocolate chips, and mix well. Finally, add the chocolate chips.  Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes until slightly brown. 

I'm Not Granola, I'm Just a Little Crunchy

I haven't always been this way.  I am not sure when a passion for natural living took hold of me, but somewhere along the way I became aware of chemical names on things.  I started to take notice of the environment, and I was a little worried.  I didn't want to be labeled a tree hugger or granola; not because I didn't like those people, but because it didn't feel like me.  I mean, I still shaved my armpits and stuff, but I do feel myself crossing over bit by bit.  I strive to feed my family non-processed, healthy meals, and I try to eliminate chemicals from our environment in every way possible.

 To top this all off, I am incredibly, shall we say, frugal.  I love to save money, and I hate to spend it on things that I can make myself.  Now, when it comes to some things, like a fun little family vacation, I am totally willing to spend the money, as long as it has been carefully budgeted out of course. 

Now, what does this all mean for me.  I spend my life coming up with creative, inexpensive ways to live healthy and chemical free, and I would like to share my experiences. 

On this blog, I will show how my family eats gluten free on a tight budget (my daughter and I both have celiac disease), how we cloth diaper (I know you're thinking gross, but it's actually pretty awesome), and how I find other eco-friendly, inexpensive ways in my entire home.

When my mom describes me to her friends and co-workers, she will often use the term granola, but I tell her I am not granola, I'm just a little crunchy.