I have really been wanting to make the yummiest, but healthiest gluten-free, and naturally sweetened cookies ever. I believe I have done it! I looked and looked for a recipe that fit my needs, but didn’t really find one. I took inspiration from this recipe but I found the combination of flours not to work for me.
I also wanted to learn a bit more about flours in general. There are so many available now that are gluten-free, but one wrong choice and the texture of the baked good can totally change or you’re left with a pile of crumbs instead of a chewy cookie. I read here about flour. Shauna recommends a 40%/60% mix of whole grain flour/starchy flour for baking. I chose to use a mix of oat flour/tapioca flour.
So this is what I came up with: a chewy cookie with delicious chocolate frosting sweetened with dates. The frosting recipe was amazing and very easy! Read more about it below.
*Ingredients*
- 1 cup flour: 40% Oat flour, 60% tapioca flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp almond extract
*Method*
Step 1: Preheat the over to 350° F or 180°C.
Step 2: Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
Step 3: Then incorporate the wet ingredients.
Step 4: Place a cover on the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Peel off the top sheet of paper and place it on your cookie sheet. If the dough is too firm, you can directly take your cookie cutters and cut out your shapes. If your dough ends up being too wet, or is hard to work with, you can put it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so and resume cutting out the shapes.
Step 6: When the tray is full, place it in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Err on the side of caution since all ovens run differently and check them after 5 minutes.
Step 7: Remove the cookies and immediately place the parchment paper on the counter or a cooling rack. Add the next batch and cook.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting them.
Makes about 15 2-inch cookies.
*FROSTING*
For the date frosting, I just use this recipe. It turns out to be delicious and decadent- no need to change a thing! One tip for the dates- make sure you find fresh ones. It will turn out less sweet if the dates are a bit old, which isn’t always a bad thing either.
Also this frosting is yummy to eat on it’s own. Just ask my roommate. 🙂 He discovered the batch in the refrigerator and ate it all. It’s not too far from a chocolate mousse.
General Tips: If you leave the dough in the refrigerator for longer than 10 minutes- it’s okay, but you’ll need to work the dough a lot with your hands. I think it’s better to just wait 10 minutes, but know that you forget about it (like I sometimes do), you can still salvage the situation. 🙂
Make sure you don’t cut out your shapes too thin. They will be delicate to handle once cooked.
Whole30 Rebel 