Recipe: Gluten-Free Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you can't tolerate gluten, tasty cookies might be a rare treat. These are not only good, they are good enough to share with friends or family who are not gluten-intolerant The secret is a blend of white rice flour, sweet rice flour and cornstarch subbing for wheat flour. Check natural foods stores for the rice flours and for the gluten-free chocolate chips.

This recipe is from a new book "Easy Gluten-Free Baking", by Elizabeth Barbone. Barbone offers these tips:

As written, the recipe will make Toll House-style cookies that will flatten and spread a little during baking. If you like a cookie that stays in a mound, chill the dough for 15 minutes prior to baking, and keep dough in the refrigerator in between batches.

This recipe makes fantastic slice and bake cookies! Simply mix up a batch of dough and divide it in half. Place half the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Wrap the parchment around the dough to form a log. Twist the ends to seal and then wrap the entire log with aluminum foil to seal. Repeat with remaining dough. Freeze for up to two months.

Gluten- Free CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes about 3 dozen

11/4 cups white rice flour

½ cup sweet rice flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) butter, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 (12-ounce) bag gluten-free chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together rice flours, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until a thick paste forms, about 1 minute. (Use medium speed on a hand-held or stand mixer.) Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add dry ingredients and vanilla; mix until a dough forms. Stir in gluten-free chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

4. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.

5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Remove sheet from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer cookies directly onto rack to cool completely. While first sheet is cooling, bake the second sheet of cookies. Store cookies in an airtight container.

From, Easy Gluten-Free Baking", by Elizabeth Barbone (c) 2009, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.