One of my specialities is working with individuals who have food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities. When I create recipes I often try to make them as “whole food” as possible so those with allergies can alter a recipe easy to their liking. I call these my “LEAP” cookies as they are in line with the LEAP program that I use to identify food sensitivities. (www.nowleap.com) Wheat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free these cookies don’t skimp on flavor. These really are a cookie you can share with everyone!

LEAP “Chocolate Chip” Cookie

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup Spelt Flour
1/4 cup Oat Flour (grind oats in your blender until a flour forms)
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8th tsp. nutmeg (optional, but I love the “warmth” that nutmeg gives these cookies)

Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup oil (canola or Walnut for LEAPers)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. molasses

1/3 cup carob chips or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add the wet to dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate or carob chips. Spoon onto a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes.

Watch closely, see tips below, pull the cookies when they are just baked through. They will continue to cook once out of the oven. The first batch I made came out too crispy and I prefer a softer, chewier chocolate chip cookies. Transfer to a cooling rack then transfer to a airtight container. Enjoy & Share with friends!

Tips for a better cookie: Slightly undercook these, they tend to crisp up once out of the oven and on a cooling rack. Be sure to use real maple syrup here, the artificial stuff won’t bake right.

Per cookies (makes 24): 70 calories, 3g fat, 10g CHO, 0.6g fiber, 0.8g protein

Let me know what you think!

I admit I’m pretty lazy when it comes to baking. Although I love to cook, rolling cookie dough doesn’t give me the same pitter-patter that rolling pasta does. However, my mom recently gave me these Valentine’s Day cutouts and I was inspired to make some delectable treats.

I loosely followed The Kind Diet’s shortbread recipe as I don’t like cookies that are too sweet. I added some melted margarine as I like the buttery flavor it provides, but you could also use all oil. Tweak as you see fit!

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups white pastry flour
1/4 cup melted Earth Balance margarine
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Dark Chocolate icing:
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup maple or corn syrup
2 tbsp. canola oil

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking power, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: extracts, oil, syrup, and butter. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix. This worked perfectly for me but if the dough is too dry, then add a tbsp. or so of cold water. Make a ball of dough, wrap in plastic or a cloth and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough and cut using whatever cutters you have on hand. If you don’t have cookie cutters, roll your dough into a log and slice off cookies from the end.

While the cookies are baking, combine the syrup and oil in a double boiler set over simmering water. Stir in the chocolate chips until they are melted.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes on a baking rack and then dip into the chocolate. Leave plain or top however you like… nuts, sprinkles, candy pieces… whatever your valentine loves most!

The nutrition information varies a lot depending on what size cookie cutter you use, but if you make 24 cookies, 1 cookie with chocolate: 148 calories, 6g fat, 22g CHO, 1.8g protein.