Oatmeal Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

Besides focusing on organic, the recipes in the book Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats are also allergen-free and vegan.

So, no gluten, nuts, dairy ... all those things that are so common in baked goods.

To get around the "no dairy" issue, there's a lot of coconut oil used in these recipes, and coconut nectar is used for a sweetener.

I didn't have any coconut nectar, and after some shopping, I couldn't find it anywhere.

After some research, I found that agave nectar and honey were both acceptable substitutes from a cooking standpoint, so I used honey.

Later, I remembered that honey isn't a vegan product. But I wasn't planning on feeding any vegans, so I figured it would be fine. Use the coconut nectar or agave, if you need to keep these vegan.

The recipe also called for 3/8 teaspoon of stevia powder, which I also didn't have. Stevia is a sweetener, and since many sources said that honey was sweeter than coconut nectar, I decided to skip the stevia.

I didn't have guar gum and couldn't find it when I went shopping (although I know I've seen it at the grocery store before!), but the book suggested that xanthan gum is an acceptable alternative, so I used that.

I'm not a big fan of coconut, so I wasn't shoveling these into my mouth with wild abandon, but the chocolate flavor was definitely prominent.

For the gluten-free flour mix, I used the mix from King Arthur Flour; the book also has a recipe from making your own flour mix.

For the chips, I used Nestle's. If you're feeding vegans or folks with allergies, make sure you read the label on the chips you choose to make sure you're not inadvertently including things they can't have. The book has recipes for making your own dark chocolate chips, if you prefer to do that.

Oatmeal Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Donna
adapted from Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats by Debbie Adler

1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour mix
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut nectar (I used honey)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/8 teaspoon stevia powder (I omitted this)
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups gluten-free rolled oats 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper. These don't spread much, so you might be able to squeeze all the cookies on one sheet, but I found it was easier to just use a second sheet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour mix, cocoa powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.

Put the coconut oil and nectar (or honey or agave) in a microwave-safe measuring cup or small bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds. Add the vanilla extract and the stevia (if you're using it) and stir well. The coconut oil should melt.

Add the coconut oil mixture to the flour mixture, along with the water. Stir until all the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is evenly wet.

Add the oats and the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Portion the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. I made about 20 cookies.

Flatten the cookies with your palm or with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Bake at 325 degrees until the cookies are set and the oats look dry, about 13 minutes.

If you're baking more than one sheet at a time, or if your oven doesn't bake evenly, rotate the pans in the oven partway through the baking time.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the cookies cool for about 10 mintues before removing them from the pan and letting them cool completely on a rack.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher.