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| Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soy Free Vegan Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies |
Today, I am celebrating the new look of my blog with a special treat.
A year ago, I did not even know what a blog was. I just had lots of ideas floating around in my head with no place to organize all my thoughts. With the persistent urging of my husband, and a chance meeting with a friend last July 4th at our annual town fireworks, I went home that night and started this blog. My friend had started his own blog not long ago, and encouraged me to just start writing, after all,how else would I learn how to blog or what a blog was all about unless I tried.Â
The past nine months have been a whirlwind for me. I have been learning how to write recipes and posts,take food photos, and code a bit in html, while meeting an incredibly diverse group of talented bloggers through facebook, twitter, stumbleupon and post comments. However, the biggest reward has been connecting with readers like you, and knowing that I have made a difference in a few people’s lives. This blog has enabled me to reach far more people than I could ever have imagined, and share recipes that I have made for family and friends, whether they are fighting cancer, food allergies, or just trying to eat more healthily.
Now, onto my post of the special treat that my family will be enjoying to celebrate my blog’s new look.
I have been playing around with gluten-free flours the past month or two and am finally feeling more comfortable making my own substitutions. One of the things I’ve read in numerous places is that a variety of gluten-free flours should be used to try to mimic the taste and texture of wheat flour.
Most gluten-free store-bought baked goods use white rice flour as a primary ingredient, less nutritious than whole grain flours, plus one of my sons is also allergic to eggs, dairy and soy, which are commonly found in gluten-free cookies, cupcakes and muffins at the supermarket. Part of the gluten-free challenge I have been faced with is making healthier versions of the gluten-free baked goods in the supermarket without all the allergens.
I have a pantry full of gluten-free flours (it’s very messy!) so I have lots to play with. I have quinoa flour, millet flour, garbanzo/fava bean flour, brown rice flour, teff flour, tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, and potato starch in my pantry right now. I also have ground flax seeds which I’ve been using to substitute for eggs in recipes, and xanthum gum, which is needed to help bind the ingredients together in baked goods.
Although I’ve made gluten-free muffins and scones, granola bars, hot soft pretzels and bread, I hadn’t made any gluten-free cookies yet. I decided to try making gluten-free Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies, always a favorite among kids, based on the recipe on the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip package.
These gluten-free Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies came in handy recently when I was testing out recipes for my book review of Teen Cuisine. One of the special treats my kids wanted to try was a cookie ice cream sandwich. At first, I cringed at the thought of making this ice cream treat since I knew my little guy couldn’t have any; but, then I realized I could make him something just as tasty — I made a cookie ice cream sandwich with these gluten-free Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies and Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Vanilla Ice Cream. For a most decadent, celebratory touch, I melted some dairy/soy free chocolate chips and drizzled it on top of the chocolate chip ice cream sandwich just like Chef Locricchio’s recipe in Teen Cuisine.
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| A Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soy-Free Ice Cream Sandwich, a Decadent Celebratory Treat! |
Whole Grain Gluten-Free Flour Mix
Make extra and store in a container so you’ll have some on hand to make cookies in a pinch.
Printable Recipe
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup garbanzo/fava bean flour
1/2 cup millet flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup arrowroot starch
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soy Free Vegan Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
This tasty treats are cholesterol free since they are dairy/egg free. With the addition of whole grains in the flour mixture, this old standby cookie recipe is a healthy alternative for anyone, not just those with allergies (my other non-allergic kids loved these!)
Printable Recipe
2 1/4 cups Whole Grain Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Soy-Free Earth Balance or virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons flax seed mixed with 5 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups dairy/soy free semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Beat Earth Balance, sugar, agave nectar, vanilla and flax seed mixture together in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in dry ingredient mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop rounded teaspoons of cookie dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes (adjust depending on your oven) until golden brown. Slide parchment paper onto wire cooling rack.
Resources on Gluten-Free Flours:
The Gluten-Free Chef’s How To Use Gluten Free Flours
Gluten Free Girl and the Chef’s Guide to Working with Gluten-Free Flours
About.com Celiac Disease: Tips for Baking with Gluten-Free Flour
Gluten-Free Mommy’s Gluten Free Grains 101: The Best Flour Blend
Living Without’s Gluten-Free Flour Power
Gluten Free Fruit and Nut Snack Bars {Nature Valley $500 Gift Card Sweepstakes}
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I love the new look!
Thanks Wendy! I'm glad you like it.
Looks fantastic! And so do the cookies…
Beautiful Jeannette!!
Hmmmm, very yummy! Thanks for sharing and love the new look!
Jeanette I really think the new blog looks so much more polished and amazing! Such a great job. Your blog is such a help and I always enjoy learning new things from you. Even though we aren't a household who has to worry about allergies you provide so much useful information and beautiful recipes. Those cookies look delicious!
I have completely fallen in love with the blog design. It really represents you so well.
Love the new look and the ice cream sandwiches sound delish!
Thanks so much everyone, you all have been so supportive and inspirational over this past year, and I can't thank you enough!
What a wonderful blog, I'm so glad I found you! The cookies look amazing, thanks for sharing
Mary
Thanks Mary, I'm glad you found me. Looking forward to sharing recipes!
Those cookies like the rest of the recipes on your site look simply delicious. Need to make some and try the ice cream sandwich.
Thanks for your feedback! These cookies and the ice cream sandwich made my son's day.
LOVE the new look!
Love the new look! Very clean and simple. The header is great.
And the treat sounds yummy!
Thanks, I'm very happy with my new blog look! Love your blog – very neat, some terrific ideas!
The blogging world is so great – and I can see how you have gotten totally caught up in it. i have too! These cookies look great!
Hi Deborah, I couldn't agree more – the blogging community has been so welcoming, generous and supportive. Love your beautiful blog, gorgeous photos! Glad you like these cookies, they were a nice treat for my little guy!
Great cookies – but the blog updates are fabulous!! Love all the work you have done Jeanette. Your new look is so vibrant and fresh. Really shows off your recipes. Well done & congrats 🙂
Thanks Marla, that means a lot coming from you as you have a fabulous blog! I'm always inspired by your recipes and photos.
Hi Jeanette! Thank you so much for sharing this delectable-looking recipe! We cannot wait to bake these cookies and have a tollhouse ice-cream sandwich party!
These cookies look delicious, Jeanette, especially for all of the things they're "free" of! I'm very impressed that you pulled off a healthy chocolate chip cookie! Thanks for sharing. I'm so happy to have found your beautiful blog and am going to explore more of your recipes now! 🙂
Thanks Gail and Georgia! I was pleasantly surprised that these Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies came out so good, especially since they are free of gluten, dairy, and eggs, three ingredients that most commonly found in baked goodies.
Love the new look! And that picture of the ice cream sandwich is incredible!
Thanks Lynn, this is real treat!
yammmmmii!! these dish looks really great … i will try it and taste it 🙂 loooks really yaaaamiii delicious
Thank you for your feedback. That is my hope – that I can pass along what I learn and encourage others to cook more healthily. As I've learned over the past several months, cooking allergy-free is really not that difficult once you get the hang of it. What seemed to be near impossible when I first started cooking for my allergy-ridden son, has become a fun challenge to make foods that taste good and that are allergy-free.
I read your post . it was amazing.Your thought process is wonderful.
The way you tell about things is awesome. They are inspiring and helpful.Thanks for sharing your information and stories.
nifty option tips
must be too sweet….is good for diabetic patients
THANK, YOU THANK ,YOU THANK, YOU!!!! I’m lactose intolerant and this is dairy free! These cookies are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
De-lici-ous!
Is there something to replace the garbanzo/fava bean flour, as I’m allergic to legumes?
Try either almond flour, or an equal amount of brown rice flour and sorghum flour.
What is the reason for the flax seed? Is this a key ingredient or could they be made without?
Flax seed gel is often used as an egg substitute in recipes – it turns into a gel like substance when it sits for a little bit, so helps bind. I haven’t tried them without the flaxseeds so if you try it, please let me know how they turn out.