Adopt a GF Blogger: Hope for Healing

Can I just say that I am so incredibly thankful to have found this online community of fellow food-sensitive types? Being different can be interesting, but it can also be a bit lonely at times. And as I was riding the bus home this afternoon from my mini post-finals Memorial Day weekend getaway, I got hit with a wave of sheer gratitude for this lovely blogger-hood of gluten- and dairy-free foodies. So, to everyone whose blogs I've been gobbling up and to whoever might end up reading my own posts, thank you!

Anyway, seeing as how this blog is supposed to be motivating me to rediscover my love of baking—and to not fear or begrudge the lack of wheat flour so much—I decided to jump in on another blog carnival: Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger. Plus, this month’s host is Iris at The Daily Dietribe, so how could I pass it up?

      After making up my mind to participate, I very quickly decided to adopt Stephanie over at Hope for Healing, as it seemed like every time I visited her page, I found another recipe that tempted my taste buds and made my mouth water. Of course, now I have a virtual catalog of other people’s recipes that I want to try! But I'm glad I chose to start here, and you'll see why in just a second.

     I’m on somewhat of a mission to stay simple with my ingredient count, so I passed on her Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and Protein Monster Cookies, both of which look amazing. Frankly, I’m just starting to build my gluten-free flour collection, and I would’ve had to spend an entire week’s paycheck just to bake these. Sigh.

     Thankfully, I stumbled upon this tantalizing little recipe on her blog: Rainy Day Chocolate Chip Cookies. The main appeal here? They’re grain-free! So not only do I get to refrain from spending any extra cash on new flours—I don’t have to use a single one. Nice and simple—just my style.

Chocolate chip cookies are one of my absolute favorites—one I’ve sorely missed making since going gluten-free. And I’ve actually been wanting to experiment with this grain-free baking thing, of which I had never even heard until I started this blog. So Stephanie’s cashew butter, sucanat-sweetened chocolate chip cookies seemed like the perfect place to start. All in all, these five-ingredient cookies took about 5 minutes to prepare, and then another 10 minutes to bake in the oven.  (The only teeny tiny modification I made was a splash of gluten-free vanilla and a pinch of salt in the batter, just to give the cookies that familiar flavor I adore.)

          The result? Moist, sweet, chewy, chocolate chip deliciousness! 

          Seriously, I was shocked at how good these tasted, as were the non-gluten-free folks who happened to be in the kitchen with me when they came out of the oven, which is saying a lot. My little sister normally stays as far away from gluten-free goodies as possible, as does her boyfriend, and they both agreed—these pass the "real cookie" test with flying colors. Even I never would have guessed they were 100 percent flour-free if I hadn't mixed the batter myself. And the best part? Absolutely no headaches or upset tummy! 

          Thanks, Stephanie! And thanks, Iris, for hosting this splendid gluten-free carnival! (And a special thanks to my Uncle Randy for the farm-fresh eggs I used to make these cookies, courtesy of his free-roaming chickens!)

For the full recipe, stop by Stephanie’s blog:
Rainy Day Chocolate Chip Cookies