I kid you not, guys. As you may or may not know, I happen to be one
of those people who follows a low-carb diet. But how, do you ask, is it
possible to have two baking blogs (not one, but two!), which naturally
means twice the baking, and strive for low-carbohydrate happiness?
Well,
the answer is in recipes like the one I am about to share with you,
today. I am a dessert freak, so I need to be satiated with some form of
sugary (preferably, chocolatey) indulgence fairly constantly. But I
don't like to compromise taste for a healthier diet and I don't believe I
have to do so. I am constantly on the lookout for recipes that get high
marks for both taste and healthfulness. Unfortunately, these recipes
are tough to find, but when I do find them, they become regulars in my
low-carb menu.
This
chocolate chip cookie is unlike any I have tasted. It is completely
flourless, owing its structure and impressive flavor to almond flour.
The texture of this cookie is so spot-on, you'll be amazed and want to
use almond flour to replace flour in all your baking recipes! It's chewy
with a bite! You must try this asap! It requires only a few minutes of
prep time and then you can bake immediately, refrigerate the dough, or
freeze the dough and bake it later. It's so versatile!
Almond
flour can be quite expensive, but here's a tip. Try to buy specialty
flours (nut flours, rice flours, sorghum, potato starch, etc) at ethnic grocery stores. They generally carry these items for much less than your local grocery stores.
The
original recipe
called for coconut oil, but the batter was not as thick as I'd have
liked it to be. I also thought I'd grind some whole almonds and use that
instead of the almond flour in my fridge, which was already taken for
another purpose. My ground almonds were quite coarse, chunky, even. When
I baked them, the dough spread so much that they were flat by the time I
pulled them out of the oven. This was not a bad thing - a flat, large
round nutty cookie studded with chocolate chips baring a crunchy
exterior and a chewy interior is hardly anything to complain about. But
they fell apart a bit due to the coarse grind of the almonds. They were
absolutely delicious, but didn't hold up and were not like a traditional
chocolate chip cookie. In subsequent tries with this recipe, I used
almond flour and eliminated the coconut oil, using only the butter. I am
interested to see how the cookies would turn out if I replaced all or
some of the butter with coconut oil, as well. Seeing as I've been making
these twice already in one week, that shouldn't be a problem.. :-)
Here is a picture of my first attempt (coarse grind, aside, this recipe was followed as written)
This
time around, I used pre-ground almond flour made from blanched almonds,
which is finer and more consistent - a closer likeness to real flour -
and the results are amazing. Not just amazing, this is fast becoming my
go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe at my house. Everyone loves these
cookies, devours them within seconds, and can't seem to tell that there
is no flour in them!
If you are on the lookout for a
low-carb
absolutely delicious chocolate chip cookie regardless of the health
benefits, please do make these cookies. You will not be sorry, I
promise! This cookie is low-sugar, low-carb, and easy enough to make
gluten-free by using chocolate that is gluten-free. This is a
chocolatey, chewy, chocolate chip cookie recipe to rival any other.
Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain-Free)
Adapted from:
Meaningful Eats Blog
(Yields: 22-24 cookies)
3 cups almond flour
2 eggs, room temperature
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c brown sugar
2 t vanilla extract
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
Preheat
your oven to 350F, if you are planning on baking the cookies
immediately. Mix the butter and sugar with an electric beater or using a
stand mixer for about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, followed by the eggs
(one at a time).
In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour,
baking soda, and salt and whisk until mixed. Add this to the egg &
sugar mixture and blend well to create a homogeneous dough. Fold or mix
in the chocolate chips. You can bake the cookies immediately. This dough
can also be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. If freezing,
the dough will be good for up to 3 months.
When
you are ready to bake, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and
place 1-tablespoon scoopfuls about 2-3" apart and bake for 11-13
minutes. They will begin to brown on the tops when they are ready to
come out.
Take
the cookie sheet out of the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet
for about 5 minutes. Then, using a spatula, place the cookies on a
cooling rack and let them come to room temperature.
Store them in a cookie jar for up to a week. These cookies are AMAZING!