Suddenly, a lot of books and TV shows have been talking about living “g-free” or gluten-free,” without much explanation what it is and why, exactly, people are eliminating it from their diet.
Put simply, gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and other grains. For people with Celiac Disease, the protein damages their small intestine and keeps them from properly receiving nutrients from the food they eat. For more information on Celiac Disease, its symptoms and diagnoses, visit this site.
Now let’s get bakin’!
Inspired by my friend Danielle’s recipe for gluten-free cookies, these chocolate chippers trade in wheat for peanut butter and bananas.
Utensils required: spoonula (or mixing spoon of some sort), spatula, cookie sheet, mixing bowl, measuring cups, plate for serving cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter (creamy, unless you want peanuts in your cookies)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar (white, granulated — the standard, everyday stuff)
A pinch of salt (literally — less than a quarter of a teaspoon of it)
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 medium banana (optional, but it tones down the peanut taste and make the cookies moister)
Time commitment: About 15-19 minutes (5-7 minutes to prepare, 10-12 to bake)
Steps:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mash up the banana as finely as possible (opt for a fully yellow banana or one that’s beginning to brown — it’ll naturally sweeten the cookies).
3. Crack an egg in your mixing bowl, and you may notice two hard, white, stringy pieces in the egg. That’s called the chalaza, and you don’t want to bite into it while munching on your cookies, so fish it out using a fork. If you can’t get to it, don’t worry — most people bake without removing ‘em — but I always do as a precaution. (They’re more important to remove in a custard or other creamy dish, where it could affect the texture of the dessert.)
>> Check out the gallery below to see what the chalaza looks like. It’s in the first photo.
4. Mix in all of your ingredients thoroughly, until the chocolate chips are spread out and a dough is formed.
5. Spoon cookies onto a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden brown.
7. Take out, let cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!
