Chocolate Chip Cookies - Healthy Redux

O.K. you may wonder...how are these healthy? Well, I guess I should word it healthier. Before going gluten free, I baked with whole grains, using a little less sugar in my baking to create treats for my children that weren't as bad as regular, offering maybe a little more nutrition instead of completely empty calories. So when I first went gluten free, and I was baking with cornstarch, tapioca flour and white flour..it felt like such a step back for me. Why bake? It was completely nutritionally devoid as far as I was concerned.

But I missed some of my gluten treats, and plodded along until I started discovering grains with a little bit more to offer nutritionally speaking..teff, sweet sorghum, brown rice...my favorites. So I decided to re-do my original recipe with these and see how they were. Definitely still a treat, my children loved them, but if you have a hankering for the old kind, try my first chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Chewy Crisp Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup sweet sorghum
1/2 cup teff
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xantham gum
3/4 tsp salt
1 to 2 teaspoons flax seed
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I use unsweetened, but both will work)

Spray pan with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350.

In large bowl, beat butter with granulated and brown sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, xantham gum and salt, and flax seed if using; stir in chocolate chips, pecans and coconut. Pour over butter mixture, stir to combine.

Drop by 1 Tbsp, about 2 inches apart onto prepared pans. Bake about 12 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool completely.

Cheers!!!