Thursday, February 12, 2009

Buckwheat Chocolate-Chip Cookies Recipe : Gluten-Free

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten-Free Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies (link to recipe). The age old classic cookie - chocolate chip cookies - with a focus on gluten-free buckwheat flour as a core ingredient, producing a crispy, crunchy, tasty treat! These are dairy-free cookies as well (though, easy variations exist that use butter if you like).

My mother created these cookies for a simple-to-make gluten-free version of the classic "Tollhouse" chocolate chip cookies. They were delightful, and had plenty of crunchy appeal, reminding me of the traditional Toll House chocolate chip cookie they were meant to mimic.

She used a lighter variety of buckwheat in these, which keeps the flavor of the buckwheat from becoming too overpowering. If you absolutely do not care for buckwheat, this probably is not the recipe for you -- the flavor is mild, but still discernible.

We all use the certified gluten-free buckwheat flour from Birkett Mills (link to their site), which is of a very nice quality. I actually find Birkett's web site a bit hard to navigate (it is not intuitively organized), so I pulled the following product description from Birkett's web site.
Pocono Buckwheat Flour
100% pure stone ground buckwheat flour. USDA Certified Organic. All natural, no additives or preservatives. Total weight: 2 lbs. ea. Shipping: UPS Ground; Cost: $4.95 + S/H [as of when I posted this -- 2/15/2018]

The cookies I had a chance to consume (that my mother baked) were also using a mix of Splenda (brand sweetener) and regular sugars for a slight reduction in carbs, and they were just fine. As simple as they are to make, these gluten-free cookies will come in handy when you need a crunchy cookie without a long wait.

Mom was quite happy to share her recipe with others, and I thank her for yet another contribution to the gluten-free recipes library (see desserts section for this particular recipe). I hope others enjoy the cookies as much as I did - they really hit the spot for me.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Recipe: Banana-Walnut Waffles

I always have enjoyed homemade waffles, even before Celiac Disease hit. But, for whatever reason, after going gluten-free I enjoy waffles more than ever — perhaps just because they are one of those comfort foods that can be baked gluten-free and taste just like the "real" thing, with very similar texture and taste.

I have posted a few Gluten-Free waffle variations over on our free recipes library before, but I think this is the first dairy-free one I have posted. My wife came up with this latest variation when working on a few dairy-free formulas (she has others - a chocolate chocolate-chip one I really like too!). But, for today, the recipe is a banana walnut variation:

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Banana Walnut Waffles Recipe (link to recipe)

Gluten-Free Banana Walnut Waffles
Gluten-Free Banana Walnut Waffles

Now, I must admit, for full-disclosure purposes, I consumed all of the waffles before realizing I had not taken a picture of them this time! So, I borrowed this picture (above) from the buttermilk/flax waffles recipe (also in our gluten-free recipes library), since they look the same essentially. All the more reason the chocolate-chocolate-chip version is not here today either... forgot to take pictures!

These waffles use a few gluten-free grains in the ingredient list, to make them a bit more healthy (fiber / proteins / even some Omega-3's) with Buckwheat Flour, Teff Flour, and Flaxseed Meal. And, in place of the typical dairy ingredients, my wife has chosen to use Silken Tofu, which also adds a nice bit of soy protein while providing much of the texture-enhancement that dairy would otherwise add.

The result is a wonderfully light and fluffy waffle equal to any real ones — banana/nut too! Mild flavored and light bodied (wow, sounds like I am describing a beer or wine), they are delicious, and have that wonderful flavor combination of bananas and walnuts! Sure to be a hit with children as well as adults. You will need a waffle maker to make these, but it is worth the investment and you will be happy you bought one if you do not already own one (especially if you crave gluten-free waffles all the time like I do).

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.