Dark Chocolate Gluten Free Cookies

These cookies are chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges almost as if a brownie and a cookie had a baby. I'm a huge chocolate fan, so you know I made them extra chocolatey. They are perfect for nibbling on at home or bringing to a festive event for the holidays. Added perk, they are gluten free, so more friends can enjoy!

As you all probably know by now, my favorite gluten free flour is Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. You can use other flours too, but since all gluten free flour mixes are a little different, you may need to do some experimenting to see if any adjustments need to be made.

These cookies spread out a lot when baking, so you don't want to crowd the pan too much. I fit about 10 cookies on my large baking sheet. Because the cookies spread out and get a little thin (that's what makes them the perfect ratio of crispy and chewy), it's best to let them cool off on the pan a bit before removing with a thin tipped spatula. If you absolutely can't wait (I get it!), they may just be a little gooier and might fall apart when transferring.

The secret ingredient in these cookies is a tablespoon of used coffee grounds. You can pull them straight from the filter in your coffee maker from this morning. If you don't have coffee, you can omit, but it does add some delicious complexity to the chocolatey flavor. If you're not a big coffee fan, don't worry, the cookies don't end up tasting like coffee.

Dark Chocolate Gluten Free Cookies

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (or similar)

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 Tbsp used coffee grounds

1 c dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and sugars.

3. Whisk egg and combine with butter.

4. Add vanilla and coffee grounds. Stir to combine.

5. Add cocoa powder, flour, sea salt, and baking soda and mix well until fully combined and a dough forms.

6. Fold in chocolate chips.

7. Spoon dough onto a prepared baking sheet in balls about the size of a golf ball.

8. Bake for 9 minutes.

9. Let cool before transferring cookies from baking sheet to prevent cookies from falling apart.

10. Enjoy!