GLUTEN FREE TOLL HOUSE COOKIES with VEGAN & DAIRY FREE instructions

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     At a friend’s request I converted the famous Nestles Toll House Cookie recipe into a gluten free version.  I can’t tell you how long it has been since I had one of these, but boy are they good.  I made some vegan cookies for my son and dairy free friends.  These came out really delicious also. 

     Easy to make, I just mixed the dough by hand.  It is much less effort if you have the ingredients at room temperature (hint hint), trying to cream cold butter or margarine will provide quite an arm muscle workout (which is fine if you are looking for this sort of exercise).

     My wheat eating tasters said that they could not tell the difference between the GF and wheat cookies.  Score!  

     You can achieve different textures according to the length of the baking time.  The recipe recommend a baking time of 9-11 minutes.  For softer cookies use the shorter recommended time, for crisper cookies bake them the longer time.  They are really scrumptious at any amount of baking time.

     The original recipe makes 60 cookies, so I cut the recipe in half.  Using a scoop that measures 1-inch across, half the recipe made about 30 cookies.  I am posting the half recipe.  For more cookies just double the recipe.

     For the vegan version I replaced the egg with 1/4 cup of water.  I find that with cookies other egg replacers are not necessary.  I also used 1/2 margarine and 1/2 shortening in place of the butter.  Using all margarine tends to change the texture due to the water content of the margarine.  Also, margarine tends to have a lot of salt, so omit the salt in the recipe if you use all margarine.  

GLUTEN FREE TOLL HOUSE COOKIES

Makes about 30 2-inch wide cookies.

Ingredients

1 cup	Sorghum Flour
1/4 cup	Tapioca Flour
1/4 cup	Chickpea Flour
1/2 tsp.	Xanthan Gum
3/4 tsp.	Baking Soda
1/2 tsp.	Himalayan Sea Salt (is using margarine reduce or omit salt)
1 stick/4 oz./½cup	Unsalted Butter For Vegan or Dairy Free use margarine and or non-hydrogenated shortening such as Spectrum
3/8 cup/6 Tbs.	Brown Sugar
3/8 cup/6 Tbs.	Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals)
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract For Vegan or Dairy Free, if you have some on hand, use butter flavor vanilla (Lorann makes some, be sure to read the labels some of their butter vanilla contains hydrogenated oil and some do not, go figure.)
1 large	Egg For Vegan use 1/4 cup of water or an egg replacer of choice.
1 cup	Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips For Vegan or Dairy Free be sure the chips are dairy free.
1/2 cup	Walnuts - chopped (optional) You can use pecans or almonds if you prefer.

Directions

1. Arrange the baking racks so that they are in the center of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 375℉.  Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat pads.
2. Add the flours, xanthan gum, salt and baking soda to a small bowl and mix together well with a whisk.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter (or margarine and/or shortening) and sugars until well blended and fluffy.

   

   Vegan/Dairy Free margarine & shortening.

   
   
   
   

   

   Butter and sugar. 

   

   Vegan sugar and fat after creaming together.

   
   

   

   Butter and sugar creamed together.

4. Add the vanilla and egg or egg replacer of choice and mix in to the sugar mixture.

   

   Vegan/DF sugar mixture with water & vanilla added.
   Note that the mixture will not be homogenous
    until later when the flour is added.

   
   

   

   Butter and sugar with egg and vanilla.

   
   

   

   Butter and sugar after egg and vanilla are mixed in.
   The mixture will not be smooth and completely blended
   until after the flour is mixed in.

5. Add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir in until well incorporated.

   

   Vegan dough.

   
   

   

   Butter & egg dough.

6. Add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix in by hand.

   

   Dough with chips and nuts.

    
7. Measure out the dough by the rounded tablespoon, or with a 1-inch scoop, and place on the prepared baking sheets.  The dough will spread while baking so leave 2-inches of space between the dough portions.

   

   Raw dough 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet. 
8. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown.  For softer cookies bake the shorter time, for crisper cookies bake them the longer time. Turn the baking sheets 180° and, if using more than one pan, rotate the pans from top to bottom shelves and vice versa so that the cookies bake more evenly.

   

   Baked cookies.

9. Cool the cookies in the pan for 2 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool completely.

   

   GF Toll House Cookies made with butter cooling on a rack.
   Some are made without chips.

10. Store the cookies in a tins or airtight containers.  They are best eaten in the first 2 days, but will keep at room temperature for several days.  Wrap and freeze the baked cookies for longer storage.  You can also freeze raw dough portions until ready to bake them at a later time.  Portion out the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze the dough on the baking sheet.  Once frozen store the dough balls in a plastic bag.  Allow a few extra minutes for the frozen dough to bake.

    

    GF Toll House Cookies made with butter and eggs.

    
    

    

    GF Vegan Toll House Cookies.

   

GLUTEN FREE TOLL HOUSE COOKIES Makes about 30 2-inch wide cookies. Ingredients 1 cup Sorghum Flour 1/4 cup Tapioca Flour 1/4 cup Chickpea Flour 1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum 3/4 tsp. Baking Soda 1/2 tsp. Himalayan Sea Salt (is using margarine reduce or omit salt) 1 stick/4 oz./½cup Unsalted Butter For Vegan or Dairy Free use margarine and or non-hydrogenated shortening such as Spectrum 3/8 cup/6 Tbs. Brown Sugar 3/8 cup/6 Tbs. Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals) 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract For Vegan or Dairy Free, if you have some on hand, use butter flavor vanilla (Lorann makes some, be sure to read the labels some of their butter vanilla contains hydrogenated oil and some do not, go figure.) 1 large Egg For Vegan use 1/4 cup of water or an egg replacer of choice. 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips For Vegan or Dairy Free be sure the chips are dairy free. 1/2 cup Walnuts - chopped (optional) You can use pecans or almonds if you prefer. Directions Arrange the baking racks so that they are in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375℉. Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat pads. Add the flours, xanthan gum, salt and baking soda to a small bowl and mix together well with a whisk. Set aside. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter (or margarine and/or shortening) and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg or egg replacer of choice and mix in to the sugar mixture. Add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir in until well incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix in by hand. Measure out the dough by the rounded tablespoon, or with a 1-inch scoop, and place on the prepared baking sheets. The dough will spread while baking so leave 2-inches of space between the dough portions. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown. For softer cookies bake the shorter time, for crisper cookies bake them the longer time. Turn the baking sheets 180° and, if using more than one pan, rotate the pans from top to bottom shelves and vice versa so that the cookies bake more evenly. Cool the cookies in the pan for 2 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in a tins or airtight containers. They are best eaten in the first 2 days, but will keep at room temperature for several days. Wrap and freeze the baked cookies for longer storage. You can also freeze raw dough portions until ready to bake them at a later time. Portion out the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze the dough on the baking sheet. Once frozen store the dough balls in a plastic bag. Allow a few extra minutes for the frozen dough to bake.