Gluten Free Goodness: An Allergy-Friendly Cookie Recipe

I first made these cookies in Denver with my sister, who has a gluten and yeast intolerance. I adapted a recipe from gluten free diva Amy Green, whose blog and cook book – Simply Sugar & Gluten Free (SS&GF) – is a nonstop source of kitchen inspiration.

We shared the cookies with friends at a dinner party and no one believed that they were not only gluten free, but dairy and soy free as well.

When I returned to the big apple, I continued to experiment with speciality baking – catering to allergies and intolerances. I suffer from my own (dairy and soy) and was excited by some of my culinary discoveries.

I made these same cookies for a Dd gathering this week – once again, they were a success. Now, I want to pass the recipe on to all of you. The are pretty adaptable, as you can pick your own add ins. You can find all of the ingredients at Whole Foods.

Gluten Free Cookies

Ingredients:
-1/2 c coconut oil spread or soy free spread, both by Earth Balance

- 1 c coconut palm sugar (you can use cane sugar as well, but this makes it diabetic-friendly)

- 1 egg

- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

- 1 3/4 c brown rice flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp xantham gun or guar gum (this helps bind the ingredients together)

- 1/4 tsp kosher salt

- add-ins: I recommend walnuts, carob chips or soy/dairy free chocolate chips, and ground flax seeds, but you can also try dried fruit, nuts, or gluten free oats

Get started: Preheat the oven to 350. Beat sugar and coconut oil spread/soy free spread. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, guar/xantham gum, and salt. Blend gradually with wet ingredients. Stir in add-ins. Drop spoonfuls of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes.

Enjoy!