Preparing ahead for Glutenfree cookies

One of the reasons I like the chocolate chip recipe I posted last week is not only the ease of preparing it but also the many ways to prepare ahead. I first made a mix of all the dry ingredients packaged as a cookie mix like you buy in stores. All I had to do was add the wet ingredients and the cookie mix was ready.

Then I discovered it was possible to make up the whole mixture to freeze without altering the texture of the cookies. But once they were baked and frozen the cookies were like fresh when thawed and served.

It is very easy to substitute ingredients in order to accommodate different food allergies. For instance many people have a problem with eggs. The powdered potato product, Egg Replacer, can be used successfully for most baked products. The directions on the package recommend 11/2 tsp for each egg. I found I get a much better result with 1full tablespoon per egg and I/4 cup of water for each egg. A normal egg will usually give ¼ cup liquid per egg. However don’t try to substitute for more than 3 eggs in one recipe because it usually does not yield a good result.

It is also possible to decrease the sugar intake by using brown Splenda or other sugar sources; that is sugar derived from concentrated fruits like, dates, mucadines, or molasses. These are still sugars but since they are so concentrated the amount can be reduced by half and still work well. Many children or adults on the gfcf diet do have issues with too much sugar.

Best Glutenfree Chocolate Chip Cookies

Back in 1998, I became interested in the glutefree caseinfree diet after my grandson was diagnosed in the pdd(pervasive developmental disorder) spectrum which includes neurological disorders like autism and ADD(attention Deficient Disorder) This diet was prescribed by his physician but we were clueless how to begin. At that time. very little information was available and the prepared foods were not good enough to replace all the foods he had enjoyed.

We spent hundreds of hours digging for information and trying to cook with a whole new set of rules. For example, we found that there are many flours that can be used but none exhibit the same properties as flour with gluten. After experimenting,we were able to find a combination that best suited our needs.

In this blog, I will try to give you the benefit of the things I’ve learned during this process. Recently the CDC released the results of a new study concerning the alarming rise in number of children being diagnosed with autism. Now one in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism. This result acknowledges autism is now at epidemic proportions. Parents will need to understand more about this disorder.and the one thing most people agree on is the importance of the proper diet to their well being.

With my weekly posts, I will share my family’s experience with moving to a glutenfree diet and hope to help others who may experiencing problems during this difficult time. In the comment section, you are encouraged to share your own experiences and tips as well ask any questions. I will try to answer as many as I can-and we can tap into the glutenfree community as well.

Today I'd like to start by sharing one of my favorite cookie recipes:

Best Glutenfree Chocolate Chip cookies

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup arrowroot flour

3/4 cup baby rice cereal

3/4 cup potato starch

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup margarine

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

mix all together in mixer

add chips and nuts after well bended.

Place spoonfuls of batter on greased baking sheet or pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

There are many different ways to change ingredients to accommodate special needs and I will go over those in my next blog. See you then