Gluten Free Cookie Recipes

Celiac disease is becoming something we hear about much more often these days. Essentially, it is the body's inability to digest wheat protein (gluten). I'm sure most of you have noticed the explosion of gluten-free products in grocery stores. But where does that leave the home cook? Gluten-free recipes DO exist and are just as easy to prepare as regular recipes, especially with the ready availability of different types of flours. Give these delicious gluten-free recipes a try, you probably can't even tell they're gluten free!

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

¼ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup white rice flour
¼ cup almond flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon guar gum
1 cup chocolate chips

Beat egg, sugar, vanilla and butter together in a medium bowl. Sift together remaining ingredients (excluding chocolate chips) in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, combine well. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased, parchment lined or silicone mat lined cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 preheated oven 5-7 minutes.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups peanut butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheet.

Combine peanut butter, eggs, and sugar and mix until smooth.

Spoon dough by tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 5 to 10 minutes before removing.

*I removed the Ghirardelli Fudgy Brownie Recipe because Hubpages was yelling at me for it appearing on another website (DUH! I gave it proper attribution, but whatever). Here's another equally delicious gluten-free brownie recipe. Use Ghirardelli if you like, but just be sure it's a good-quality dark chocolate!

5 ounces dark chocolate

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 almond flour or finely processed almonds

1/4 cup rice flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoons vanilla1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules (it won't add much coffee flavor, but will enhance the flavor of the chocolate!)

Process:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving about 2 inches hang over the side.

Place chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave in 25 second increments, stirring between each. Remove from microwave. *Be careful NOT to burn the chocolate, it will be bitter! It will seize and become thick and grainy if it burns*
Beat eggs and sugar, vanilla and instant coffee together in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add chocolate, a little at a time. Beat for 1 minute. The mixture will be smooth and glossy.Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Beat for about 45 seconds to combine.
Pour batter into parchment lined baking pan and spread evenly.

Bake in a 350F degree oven for about 33-35 minutes, or until the brownies are set.

Cool on a wire rack, then remove all brownies from the pan by lifting the sides of the parchment paper. Cut into squares.