Chocolate Chip Cookies {Gluten, Dairy and Egg-Free}

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Me and chocolate chip cookies have a special relationship.  About a year ago, I was determined to create the perfect gluten, dairy and egg-free chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I had come across a few recipes that were pretty good, but the results just weren't quite what I was looking for.  I figured it couldn't be that hard to take a standard Nestles-style recipe and make it allergy friendly.  Famous last words.  I still don't know what the problem was that day, but I will tell you the results were dissapointing, disasterous, costly, exhausting and messy!  I baked all day long, trying this idea and that, sure that the next batch would be "it".  Well, at the end of the day my husband came home to a kitchen full of cookie attempts.  I must have made five or six different batches with NO SUCCESS!  Some came out as hard balls while others spread out like chewy lace.  I should have stopped and recognized that "today just isn't a good baking day," but when determination strikes sometimes you just keep going.  It wasn't until a few weeks ago, that I had the courage to try again.  And guess what?  My very first attempt yeilded a great cookie and a reasonably simple recipe.  Still don't know what went wrong that fateful cookie-disaster day, but I'm very pleased to have good recipe to share now!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten, dairy and egg-free)

1 ¾ cup sorghum flour

½ cup potato starch (not potato flour)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp xanthan gum
2 TBSP flaxseed meal
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 cup shortening (Spectrum Naturals organic vegetable shortening)
1 TBSP vanilla extract
⅓ cup applesauce
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Ghiardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips)
      
Step 1- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, and flaxseed meal).

Step 2- In a second large mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients (brown sugar, shortening, vanilla and applesauce).  Cream these wet ingredients together using a hand mixer or a stand mixer such as the Sunbeam.

Step 3 – Add dry ingredient mixture to wet and beat until well combined.  By hand, stir in chocolate chips.

Step 4 – Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 F for about 14 minutes.  If you have cookie sheets baking on both top and bottom oven racks, switch them about halfway through cooking time.

 Step 5 – Let the cookies cool for just a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.  What doesn’t get eaten right away, store in an airtight container.  Makes about 4 dozen depending on how much dough you (and your little helpers) sample.

A Note On Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips:  Although there may be other options that I haven't found yet, I know of two good choices.  Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips are the safest option as they are certified free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and nuts.  If you can't find those, look for Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips.  As far as I know, these aren't certified free of anything, but the ingredients on the package are "semi-sweet chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin - en emulsifier, vanilla)" so I feel fine using these for my family.  Plus, they are really yummy!