Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies

We admit it, we aren't great gluten free baking fans, but it's so trendy recently, that makes us curious to try it.

Besides we wanted to surprise our friend Svetla who became gluten intolerant after her first pregnancy. Now she is pregnant with her second child and she is craving more than ever for cookies and crackers. So we examined several gluten free recipes in quest for the perfect one. But considering that when it comes to food Svetla is a really picky eater we decided it would be better to make a recipe specially for her. And here it is.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies Recipe:

• 50 gr millet flour;
• 60 gr rice flour;
• 50 gr corn starch;
• 30 gr dutch processed cocoa powder;
• pinch of salt;
• 1 Tbsp baking powder;
• ½ tsp (2 gr) gum arabic(powdered);
• 1 tsp (4gr) gum guar;
• 125 gr butter;
• 95 gr granulated sugar;
• 55 gr jaggery(liquefied or finely chopped);
• 1 large egg;
• 50 gr raisins;
• 50 gr milk chocolate chips.

In a bowl, mix the flours, corn starch, cocoa powder, baking powder, gum arabic, gum guar and salt until uniform, set aside.

Beat the butter, sugar and jaggery in a large bowl until creamy and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Whisk in the flour mixture, stir in the raisins and the chocolate chips until soft drop-cookie dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 170ºC. Lightly butter a baking sheet or prepare a silpat.

Drop by rounded tea or tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the baking sheet or silpat. Space the heaps about 3 cm apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies), or until the top is dry and a little bit cracked but the insides are still quite soft.

Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, afterwords transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: Right after taking out of the oven these cookies are really soft and fragile, but don't worry they will set up after several minutes when cooled.

You can substitute 1 tsp of gum xantan for gums used here.

You can substitute dark brown sugar or honey for jaggery but the jaggery gives a smoky flavour and prolonged aftertaste.