Chocolate Chip AWESOME Cookies

Gluten free cookies are perhaps the most depressing thing when it comes to baking, for me at least. The texture (awful), the ingredients (weird), the taste the next day (horrible). There is a good chance that I think this way because I spent years perfecting my 'normal' chocolate chip cookies, and by golly I got them down to a heavenly crisp edge with a gooey center! Now making cookies, well like I said, it is depressing.

Gluten free baking also makes me extremely nervous. I am very new at it, and lets be honest, I dont want to look like a fool in the kitchen in front of my husband! My biggest fear is trying to make gluten free cookies from scratch. It seems hard and well, really, really, really expensive. So for my first attempt  at making gluten free cookies, I started off by making Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were good but not up to my cookie standards. They have a grainy texture that so many gluten free foods have. But I cannot deny that the Betty Crocker Cookies are a good backup when you need cookies quick!

So I stepped up my game. Gluten free cookies from scratch. Bam! This meant a good deal of studying gluten free cookie recipes. I kid you not, at least 3 days were spent looking up recipes, reading other blogs on gluten free baking, and going through every gluten free cookbook that Adam and I own.

From my intense studying this is the cookie recipe that I settled on (and altered just a tiny-maybe a lot bit)!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cup         Flour Blend*
1 teaspoon       Baking Powder
1 teaspoon       Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon    Salt
1/4 teaspoon    Xanthan Gum
3/4 cup            Butter (softened)
3/4 cup            Brown Sugar (packed)
1/2 cup            Sugar
2                      Eggs
2 teaspoon       Vanilla
2 cups              Chocolate Chips

*Gluten free flour blend that we use:

2 cups              Rice Flour
2/3 cup            Potato Starch
1/3 cup            Tapicoa Flour
1 teaspoon       Xanthan Gum
                                                                                                                                                                   

Directions:

Heat your oven to 375°F.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum in a bowl.

In a separate bowl combine butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Beat mixture at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix.

Slowly beat in dry ingredients until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Use a small spoon to gather the appropriate amount of dough for the size of cookie you want. I roll the dough into small balls and then flatten them before placing them on the cookie sheet. Place cookies onto greased cookie sheet or.... an ungreased cookie sheet if you prefer. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until they look like you want!

 

Keep the cookies on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

 Grab a glass of milk and a handful of cookies, and enjoy the gluten free goodness!

Council Crest Hike!

We have been trying to go for a hike for a little while, and my friend Beth from school told us about this hike, so we decided to try it out. It was a few miles out and a few miles back, and ultimately led us to what you see above. Pretty sweet views all around! 

Sir Franklin Halsey

Yesterday we were searching for a nightstand. This is what we found in our search. This is not a nightstand, but, in fact, the most fantastic piece of art I've ever owned, or seen for that matter. We found him at a consignment store about 80 blocks east of where we live. Mission accomplished. Hopefully this is the first of many surprises our new city will bring us. 

He has found his perfect setting as a permanent silhouette in the window!

Nightstand

Today Brittney and I went to the The Rebuilding Center over on Mississippi, looking for some kind of nightstand. I found this sweet little morsel below for five bucks and carried it home. 

Here's the original, before any alterations.

I'ma mark this sucker out. Unfortunately I need to make a few cuts, so I'll wait 'til I can use the shop at school. 

Macaroni & Cheese

I [Brittney] had been craving Macaroni and Cheese for weeks. So when we got back from our honeymoon I made homemade Mac & Cheese with the help from my 'quick & easy' cookbook (a Christmas gift from my old roommate Joella who worked at Barnes and Noble!)

Ingredients

8 oz dried macaroni (we used Tinkyada rice noodles for this recipe)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tbsp whole grain mustard (dont skip out, really adds flavor to the dish. *if you are gluten free, we used kraft )
3 tbsp fresh chives
7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
butter or oil (for greasing the pan)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

*The cookbook suggests adding 1 cup chopped drained sun-dried tomatoes in oil. However, we opted out. Adam is not a big fan of tomatoes to begin with and finding a gluten free brand did not sound like fun at the time.

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler to high. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until done. Drain.

2. Mix together the ricotta, mustard, and chives with salt and pepper. Stir in macaroni, cherry tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes.

3. Grease a 2qt dish. Spoon in macaroni making to sure to spread it evenly.

4. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the macaroni mixture and cook under the broiler for 4-5 minutes (for us it took almost 10 minutes), until golden and bubbling.

Now, dont let the looks deceive you. This really is a tasty dish that deviates from the normal mac and cheese we are accustomed to. Add a nice green salad and you have a delicious (and potentially gluten free) meal. Serve and enjoy-with a nice glass of wine! 

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