Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies

To quote my best friend, who walked in my apartment while I was baking these, "it smells really good in here." Yup, that's because these cookies are quite the little treat. The first time I made them, they tasted pretty good but looked hideous. Crumbly, dryish, little messes - what I typically expect when checking out a gluten-free dessert recipe. But I didn't give up after the first try - I knew that with the ingredient list, they were supposed to be tasty. So for round two, I was much more diligent than usual about putting the butter out to soften about 30 minutes before I needed it. The day was warm, so it took no time at all to naturally soften. I think this made all the difference in the world between the first and second attempts! Having baked for years, I know better than to quick-soften the butter in the microwave, but sometimes a girl forgets to set her butter out, you know? Don't be fooled - the food blog doesn't mean we know/do everything perfectly! This is one of my biggest issues baking and this recipe finally hit home why it's so important to pay attention to the details when baking!




Once I got over the butter hump, I did everything else the same and the cookies turned out beautifully. Dark, rich, chewy, melty cookies came out of the oven and we were able to begin enjoying them after allowing them to cool for about 10 minutes. Even after a few days stored in Pyrex containers, they were still chewy, albeit a little crumbly. But that's when I put them over ice cream and really spoiled myself! All in all, a worthwhile recipe to try, whether you're gluten-free or not! The perfect balance between brownie flavor and cookies.

Baking Notes: The only small adjustment I made to the original recipe was to lessen the amount of chocolate chips. The first I made them, I used a full cup and it was too much. This time I used somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 cup and the quality of the cookies was much better.




Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies (adapted from Bakerita; makes ~2 dozen)
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 - 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips









Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets. With an electric mixer, blend the butter and sugars together until combined well. Add the egg and vanilla, continuing to beat on a low speed until well mixed. Add the baking soda, salt and cocoa powder, beating until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Scoop dough in tablespoon-size dollops onto baking sheet; I only put 8 cookies per sheet since they will grow in the oven.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until done but still soft in the middle. Cool on tray for 7 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool for another 10 minutes before enjoying with a big glass of milk!

Recipe: Bakerita: Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Cookies