Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies


I am sooo sad that I can't remember where I found this recipe to give credit to a truly deserving person. However, this recipe is worth sharing. I have tasted a number of nasty gluten free cookies. These are amazing!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cup rice flour**
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. xanthan gum**
1 tsp. salt
12 oz. choc. chips (or other variety)

First, place vanilla, eggs, and butter (softened) in mixing bowl.
Then add your dry ingredients one at a time, mixing in between each one: sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt......and then the flour. (You can mix them in a separate bowl and then add to the wet mixture.....but to be honest, I hate dirty-ing an extra bowl.

Moving on. Mix the dry ingredients in really well. You will have a dough form, just like regular cookies. But it will feel a lot more sticky. That's okay. Don't add extra flour.

Then add your favorite cookie ingredient. Like I mentioned above, these are my favorites: Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate/Macadamia Nut, and Andes Mints.

Place little balls of dough on large cookie sheet. Oh, I don't know.....regular cookie dough ball size. 1 inch? 1.5 inch? Bake in preheated 350 degree (F) oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. The cookies tend to dry out and aren't as forgiving as regular gluten-full cookies. Allow to cool on a wire rack (or paper towels on the counter).

**Tip: I always pull them out right before they look done. You don't want to completely brown them. I always pull them out when the centers still look slightly dough-y. (The ones shown below are even cooked a smidgen more than I usually do. They usually come out a bit paler.) Once they cool, they will be a little chewy in the center. And unforgettable. Mmmmmmm...

Sweet Chili Tortilla Soup


I ate this soup all day -- literally -- with LOTS of tortilla strips on top of each bowl! I should've felt sick after eating a gallon of soup, but I didn't. It was fabulous. The kids did not care for it though. Must've been the thin texture from blending it. Thanks so much to The Sisters Cafe for making my day soup-filled!

Sweet Chili Tortilla Soup
Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 dried ancho chili
1/2 cup boiling water
2 T. olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts, or equivalent amount of rotisserie chicken)
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch coins (or equivalent baby carrots)
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
2 t. ground cumin
6 cups chicken broth (or stock)
3 cans (14.5 oz each) chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves (I probably use a little more)
10 corn tortillas, for frying

For garnish use any of the following:
Sliced avocado
Crumbled queso fresco, or shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Salsa
Lime wedges
Cilantro

1. Place chili in a small, heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over and let soak 30 minutes. Drain; remove stem and seeds. Slice into 1/2 inch strips and set aside.
2. In a large soup pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken; season with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Continue to cook about 8 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cumin and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add broth, reserved chili, tomatoes, and cilantro and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. With your hands, tear 3 tortillas into 2-inch strips and add to the soup. Continue to simmer about 15 minutes.
3. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken to a cutting board; take soup off heat. With a immersion blender, puree soup until smooth (I just use my regular blender and it works fine or you can puree the soup in small batches in a food processor fitter with knife blade). Return to pan. With two forks, shred chicken; return to soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Slice remaining tortillas with a pizza cutter into 1/4-inch strips. In a small saucepan, heat 1.5 inch canola oil until very hot. Fry tortilla strips until crisp, about 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, remove strips to a paper-towel-lined plate and season with salt. Serve soup in bowls topped with tortilla strips and any or all of the optional garnishes.