Gluten free... by default, cuz I can tolerate and I love the gluten
- Aug 27, 2014
- 4 min read
In these wild and crazy days of a large plethora of our population suddenly finding themselves "sensitive" to gluten, I can safely say this is a trend I have not jumped on. (This and Soul Cycle but that's a whole other story....)
I am well aware that there are people that have a geniune autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage to the small intestine and to anyone afflicted with this disorder, I really, really, really, feel for you and you have my sympathies. I LOVE gluten. Gluten is my friend. Gluten is a protien composite found in wheat and other grains. Gluten makes dough elastic, helps it rise, helps keep it shape and makes it chewy. It's fabulous.
I've often been asked such silly questions along the lines of "Do you bake without sugar?" To which I reply, "Do you breath when you sleep?"
I understand and sympathize with any and all food allergies, I couldn't imagine having to deal with one. So I find it crazy annoying when a perfectly healthy person wants to inflict the everyday struggle someone with celiac disease has to deal with because "their friends went off gluten and they look amazing" * I overheard this at Whole Foods (surprise surprise) and I wanted to pump that bitch full of lead with my sawed off shotgun hand on the pump, left hand on a forty , puffin on a blunt. That's right, I keep it real with Cyprus Hill, like an OG.
These chocolate cookies that I am Just crazy about, being flourless, makes them gluten free, by default. So I whip up a fresh batch of gluten and inject these bad boys with said gluten just to keep my street crazy intact and fresh.
I adapted this recipe from famed pastry chef Francois Payard He add's walnuts and I am not a big fan of nuts in my cookies. I replace those nuts with semi-sweet chocolate chips, because I know that texture is important. I also make a "fresh from the garden" mint dark chocolate ganache and then I sandwich these gluten free cookies with this minty fresh ganache. Because I also know that sometimes, you just can't get enough chocolate in one bite. The mint also refresh's your breath. Everyone is winning with these cookies.
"Fresh from the garden" mint ganache
1 small bunch of fresh mint (I am currently summering in Utah and raided my aunts garden for mint which inspired me to make these cookies in the first place)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Wash the mint leaves and pat dry, add heavy cream to small sauce pan and add the mint.
Pour 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips into a bowl.
Turn the heat to med-low for the heavy cream and let come to a boil, as soon as it's boiling, remove from heat and using a strainer to catch all of the mint leaves, pour over the chocolate chips. Cover (I use a cutting board) and leave it alone for a few minutes, letting the cream melt all those chocolate chips. Whisk together making sure its smooth, shiny and luscious. If it's not luscious, throw it out and pray for forgiveness you peasant.
Lay saran wrap directly onto the ganache and keep in a cool place or refridgerate for awhile. The trick is to get it thick enough to pipe onto the cookies but not too thick that it is difficult to pipe.
Flourless chocolate chip cookies
3 cups powdered sugar (if you are using from an already opened container of powdered sugar, it's important that you sift the sugar, if you are using from a brand new unopened container, you can skip the sifting, yay!)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (same rules apply with cocoa powder as the powdered sugar)
1/4 tsp salt
3 large egg whites at room temp
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 320.
In a large bowl (I prefer my trusty kitchen aid with the paddle attachment for these cookies) combine the powdered sugar with the cocoa powder and salt followed by the chocolate chips. While mixing, add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moist, if you overbeat, it will stiffen and they wont work. So many jokes...
Spray cookies sheets with non-stick cooking spray and either spoon (I use a scooper so they turn out in non-peasant perfect circle shaped cookies) onto cookie sheets and bake 14-16 minutes or until the tops are glossy and just slightly cracked. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes then transfer to a parchment paper lined cooling rack.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, flip half of them onto their backs and pipe on the mint ganache and sandwich with the top cookie. I then put them in the fridge for about a half hour to firm up, but make sure to serve them at room temp, because I said so.
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