Chocolate Chunk Cookies (gluten- + egg-free)

Who doesn't love a fresh batch of homemade cookies?! This recipe for gluten- and egg-free cookies is inspired by a recipe in the newly released WHOLE Again Cookbook by Bronwyn Kan. WHOLE Again is a fresh collection of wholesome recipes from 17 contributors around New Zealand. I was privileged enough to be one of those contributors, providing three nourishing recipes for the books pages, including Matcha Creamed Brown Rice Porridge (pictured below), Coconut Cream Pie Slice (also pictured below) and a Fig, Hazelnut + Pomegranate Salad (see below again!) in honour of my role in the family fig and feijoa orchard - Old Road Estate. However, you can find out more about the book here. It's truly lovely and since being sent some copies, I have loved cooking and baking my way through the pages. From smoothies to salads and wholesome sweet treats, they have all been delicious! One point of difference of this book is that it focuses on plant-based ingredients, many new and novel to readers such as hemp, matcha and tempeh but all of which provide valuable nutrients. Being plant-based, the book is of course packed full of fruit- and vegetable-based recipes which are beyond valuable for supporting overall health and well being. 

I was inspired to make these Chocolate Chunk Cookies one evening after putting the kids to bed and feeling, above anything else, like a glass of milk alongside fresh cookies! So I used the Chocolate Spelt Cookie recipe from The Nourished Eatery on page 60 and adapted it slightly to be gluten-free. I also used butter and whole milk as opposed to the vegan options suggested as this is what I had at hand and they worked a treat. If you enjoy a soft chewy cookie, then these are for you! 

As you can see from my cookie images, I didn't use a large enough tray so my cookies were too close together and they all baked nice and snuggly and came out as one large cookie but who minds that right?! 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies - makes ~14 cookies

• 1/2 cup softened butter

• 1 cup coconut sugar

• 1/4 cup whole milk

• Pinch salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup brown rice flour

• 1 cup ground almonds

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ~7 - 10 squares dark or milk chocolate, each square roughly chopped in half(I used a combination as I ran out of dark chocolate halfway through!)

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C and line a large tray with baking paper.

2. In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the milk, salt and vanilla and beat again until combined.

3. Add in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and baking soda and mix until smooth. Use a tablespoon to form the batter into balls and place them on the prepared tray.

4. Dot one or two chunks of chocolate on the top of each cookie and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

6. Store in an airtight container.