Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies

Oh, Clean Eating Magazine, tonight I find myself a bit more in love with you. Cookies, with chocolate, that are ALSO gluten free? These clean eating machines couldn't ask for much more.

Tonight the little guy finished his dinner--some organic microwaveable white cheddar mac & cheese mixed with butternut squash and corn puree, and a piece of deli turkey--a little earlier than normal. (Yes, you read that right, he actually 1) ATE something, and 2) ate meat. I nearly had to pick myself up off the floor.) Since it was a bit too early to start bathtime, I let him play with Play-Doh in the kitchen while I whipped up the almond butter cookies from the March/April issue of the magazine. These came together quickly and were, simply, fantastic. The H says they are "sinful."

The end product really wasn't green, I promise.

My kitchen counters, however, are:

As always, I made a few minor changes to the recipe simply based on what I had in the pantry. The almond butter I used contained salt, and the only granulated-type sugar I had was organic raw turbinado, so perhaps they weren't *as* clean as the original recipe would be. But I reiterate: fantastic. The chocolate I used was Trader Joe's extra dark 72% cacao bars; I used all but two rectangles of two 1.65 ounce bars and chopped them in a nut chopper. I also used my oil mister instead of messing with parchment.

Before baking:

My version made 18 cookies, as opposed to the 24 the recipe states. They are pretty large, though--maybe palm-sized. I used a stainless steel coffee scoop to make them evenly sized and I guess I was a little too generous. Having read blogger TPOX's review of these cookies (and being jealous that I hadn't received my issue of the magazine yet!), I was careful to smooth out each cookie dough mound to roughly the same height and shape. It seems to have worked well, as these came out fairly uniform, puffed up nicely, then cooled into flat, near-crispy rounds of delectability. Mine aren't as crumbly-falling-apart as the ones in the magazine photo appear, for which I am thankful. I was a little worried, after looking at the picture, that I wouldn't be able to store them well, but now I think they will hold up fine.

Fresh from the oven:

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2010

makes 24

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted almond butter

3/4 cup Sucanat

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3oz dark chocolate pieces (70% cocoa or greater)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*. In a medium bowl, stir together first five ingredients until well blended. Stir in chocolate.

2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks. Cool 15 more minutes.

The little guy and I shared one, warm and melty from the oven, before he went to take a bath. And you know what? He asked for more! We have a winner, folks.