I was so excited when Kelly told me she had a new grain-free cookbook coming out! I’ve been following her blog, The Nourishing Home for years and just love her recipes! Not surprisingly, I love the cookbook too!
There are over 100 simple, everyday recipes in Everyday Grain-free Baking by Kelly Smith, that can be easily mastered and used again and again. I like recipes like that. Once you get a few recipes like that under your belt you can really handle grain-free eating.
This book will help.
Most of the recipes are compatible with the popular grain-free diets and are indicated on the page. Some of the recipes are SCD compliant, some are nut free, egg free, some are dairy free and some have a dairy free option.
There are no processed foods used in the ingredients either.
While I do not usually use granulated sugar, I did go out and buy some coconut sugar to use in the recipe below. Well, it’s been years since I used granulated sugar in a recipe and I will admit it does really make a nicely crisp cookie!
The recipe for The Original Chocolate Chip Cookie is not SCD (or GAPS) legal, but I have seen many Paleo recipes using coconut sugar, so I thought I would try it.
There is a very helpful section called Grain-Free Pantry Essentials which lists all the good fats, the types of grain-free flours and other baking ingredients used. The ingredients are fully explained and the best quality available is notated.
Kelly also goes over the baking tools you will need and this is also very helpful for someone who is just starting out on this grain-free journey.
Kelly gives us great tips and instructions on some of the subtle things that people need to know in order to be successful in grain-free baking. For instance, she even goes over how to measure the flour correctly! It may seem silly, but this is very important in these recipes!
Kelly also mentions that, of course, one should not be eating too much of these delicious baked goods each day. Many people, especially when they first change over to grain-free, are inclined to want to substitute a grain-free item for every starchy food they were eating. That is not the way to heal and that is not the purpose of this (or any) grain-free cookbook.
That said, here is the recipe for these fantastic chocolate chip cookies that are really crispy and a total treat!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp coconut flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 scant tsp sea salt
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened (or palm shortening) – I actually used ghee as I do not use butter
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/3 cup coconut crystals (coconut sugar)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup diary-free mini chocolate chips (I used these but you could also use these cacao nibs)
Equipment
- 2 cookie sheets line with parchment paper
- Large and small mixing bowls
- Stand Mixer or electric hand mixer
- Spatula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the butter (or palm shortening), coconut oil, coconut crystals and vanilla. Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer blend together until smooth and creamy. Then mix in the egg until well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls at least 2″ apart onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Use your fingers to slightly flatten the cookies.
- Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until lightly browned along edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Yield: 18 cookies
Tip: Make a double or triple batch of dough and freeze it. Simply drop rounded tablespoons about 1″ apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer. Once the balls are frozen solid, place them into a freezer-safe container and return to freezer. When ready to bake, all you have to do is place the frozen cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and allow them to thaw, then bake as directed in the recipe.
Now THAT is a great idea!
There are lots of great tips like that is this book!
Get your copy of Every Day Grain-free Baking here!
I received permission from Kelly Smith and her publisher to reprint this recipe and use the photo.
