I’m always looking for healthy alternatives to the classic sweets that we grew up on. I came across these chocolate chip cookies on a cooking blog that I visit often. I tried them out this past weekend and they were a hit. These gluten free cookies are absolutely delicious. The dark chocolate and fleur de sel make a great combination. No one in my family has a gluten sensitivity, but I much prefer baking and cooking with whole grain flours. I try to stay away from refined white products. All of the ingredients for this recipe can be found at Whole Foods.

Note: Fleur de Sel is a type of French sea salt. If you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute any good quality sea salt. Use a coarse grain salt for sprinkling on top.

Prep Time: 15minutes (not including 1 hour refrigeration time for the dough)
Cooking Time: 10 – 12 minutes (per batch)
Yields: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light muscovado sugar
• 1/4 cup natural cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup amaranth flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus more for topping
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) chunks or chips

1. Combine the butter, muscovado sugar, natural cane sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes.
2. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the egg and mix until combined.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, amaranth flour, tapioca starch, fleur de sel, and baking soda.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.
5. Add the chocolate chunks and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
6. Scoop the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a log that is approximately 2 inches in diameter and 12 inches long. Wrap the log with the parchment and refrigerate for 1 hour. (You can freeze the dough for baking another day as well.)
7. While dough is in refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350F.
8. After dough refrigerates for an hour, cut the log into 1/2-inch disks. Place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper leaving 2 inches in between the cookies.
9. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of fleur de sel. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges set and start to turn golden. They might look a bit underdone, but this is fine. They will harden as they cool and slightly under-baking them will keep them chewy Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before trying to lift them. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Adapted from Aran Goyoaga’s blog Cannelle et Vanille