Recipe Converstion

[Chrissyb]

I found this recipe that sound awesome but  need help converting it into gluten free. What is the best flour to use and do I need to add xantham gum.

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups chocolate chips
• 2 cups sweetened coconut

[cyclinglady]

The recipe sounds great.  It's pretty much the old Tollhouse Chocolate Chip recipe except for the coconut.  

 

You do need to add xantham gum to help the dough bind but don't add it if you use an all-purpose gluten free flour that contains it.  Just buy an all purpose flour (like Pamela's) that primarily contains rice and a blend of other flours.  Bob's Red Mill AP has a garbanzo bean base and makes some cookies not masked with lots of spices (e.g. cinnamon) taste "off".  You can look up online for homemade flour blends too.  Use a little less flour too when converting a wheat recipe to a gluten free (e.g. 1 cup remove a tablespoon or two).   gluten-free dough tends to suck up moisture.  I usually make sure I buy big eggs and it helps!  

 

In any case, just make 1/2 the recipe (that's a double recipe) especially since you're just trying it out.  Let the dough chill a while in the refrigerator.  Helps with binding and flavors blending -- something always not needed with wheat flours.  Bring all items to room temperature.  I keep my flours in the freezer, so this is necessary and I stick eggs in a tepid water bath to bring them to room temperature faster.  

 

Bake them all or put the dough in the refrigerator in a sealed dish.  It will keep for up to three weeks.  Then you can make "fresh-baked" every couple of days or when your cravings hit!  Another choice is to bake them all and then freeze them in a sealed container.  Defrost on the counter and enjoy!  

[Adalaide]

Just an idea. Something I do when I try a recipe for the first time and I'm not sure it'll turn out well, and it is what I would personally do here. Rather than 1/2 I would do 1/4 of the recipe. I always cut the recipe down to 1 egg.

 

If you have a cookie scoop, you can also use it to perfectly portion the dough on a cookie sheet on parchment paper then freeze them, then pop them in a baggie or container. Makes your fresh dough last a bit longer for fresh baked cookies. Not all doughs freeze and bake successfully, but chocolate chip cookies almost always do. I also do like to just freeze the baked cookies in those perfect portion freezer bags, it helps keep me from getting out more than I should at a time when a craving hits.