Chocolate Chip Cookies (a new standard)

I’ve followed Elana’s Pantry for quite some time; admiring her creative use of less-known gluten-free flours like coconut and blanched almond. Fast-forward to last October, when I *won* Elana’s Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook from the wonderful Shirley at Gluten-Free Easily!

I immediately placed an order with Honeyville, one of the many carriers of the unique almond flour Elana uses. Blanched almond flour is much different than conventional almond meal, or almonds ground in a food processor; it is surprisingly fine and light. A triumph, really.

Moments after the almond flour’s arrival, I promptly stirred together the ingredients for Elana’s renowned chocolate chip cookies. It took me about five minutes to mix up the dough. No butter? No eggs? Impossible. Just, impossible.

Elana’s recipes call for agave nectar, which I don’t often have on-hand, so I’ve tested the recipe using alternate sweeteners. These alternatives also offer options for those who aren’t fully satisfied with agave’s seemingly fragile reputation. I’ve provided the size recipe I usually make (half). I am sure I’ll mature, but at this point in my life, I’m unable to leave a plate of these cookies unattended, so only bake what you intend to eat. Trust.

Elana’s Pantry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Original source: Elana’s Pantry
Substitution notes by CinnamonQuill

1 1/4 cups blanched almond flour (no substitutes)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup agave nectar, or honey or maple syrup or rice syrup or brown sugar*
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or canola or melted coconut oil**
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Honestly? I combine all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in a medium bowl. Mix well. Depending on which sweetener you’ve used, dough may be a bit wet. Add desired amount of chocolate chips, and incorporate. Next, refrigerate for 20ish minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. On parchment-lined baking sheet, drop round (generous) tablespoonfuls of dough, spacing 2 inches apart. If dough seems dry and rigid, flatten a bit. If you like ultra chewy cookies, flatten dough into discs before baking.

Bake for 7-9 minutes, until lightly golden (If you like crisper cookies, bake 9-10 minutes.). Let cool on baking sheet for 10-20 minutes, until set.

Yields about 12 2-3″ cookies. Recipe may be doubled. Dough may be stored in refrigerator for 2-3 days, until ready to bake. Store cookies in airtight container, up to a week.

*Sweetener guide:

-Agave nectar makes dough that is very wet, and cookies spread a lot, resulting in soft and chewy cookies. The flavor is mild and slightly floral.
-Honey yields a very good taste and level of sweetness. It is what I use most often.
-Maple syrup adds a slight caramel quality to the taste, and crackles the tops of the cookies a bit.
-Rice syrup works well, though may be considered slightly under-sweet by some. I happen to like under-sweet cookies, but if you don’t, opt for another choice.
-Brown sugar (light or dark) can also be used, though dough will be drier; be sure to flatten cookies prior to baking.
-A combination of the above sweeteners also works well; use what you have!

**Oil:

-Elana calls for grapeseed oil, but again, I often don’t have it in my pantry, so I’ve tried other oils, including canola, and melted coconut, both with good results. I generally use about three tablespoons of canola oil + 1 tablespoon of mild-flavored olive oil.

I love chocolate chip cookies with additional ‘mix-ins’ like dried cherries, chopped ginger, orange extract in place of the vanilla, and walnuts or pecans. What are your favorites? I’m always looking for new ideas…