Chocolate Chip Cookes...

These delicious treats come via a dear friend in Texas. This is her recipe. These cookies are a delight. Crispy on the outside, tender and moist and creamy-chewy on the inside, with oozing chocolate chips (when warm right from the oven). You wouldn't know these are gluten free.
Ok--I know that these cookies seem to have very little, to no 'intent' as I like to call it, in terms of nutritional value and eating something with intentional goodness for health and well being. But, we all deserve a deviation once in a while, I say.
Of course, that said, I did make a few minor modifications in order to add ingredients with intent (if you read my blog at all, you didn't really think that I wouldn't add something healthy to these--did you?).
I added flax for fiber--because, why not get extra fiber if you don't even know its there? And almonds, which add tasty crunch, Omega-3s, and all the goodness of nutrition that almonds pack into themselves, and I made the chocolate chips the 60% cacao variety for antioxidents (the closer to 70%+ you get, the better for you the chocolate is.) Besides, the bittersweet chocolate is a great contrast to the rich, sweet dough.
I promise, these will be your new staple gluten free chocolate chip cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• ¾ cup softened butter (1.5 sticks)
• 1 ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 ¼ cup Tom Sawyer GF Flour (I really prefer Tom's here because it is flavor-neutral, not imparting any of the flavor from the flour into the cookie. However, your own gluten free flour blend will work just fine).
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 bag (about 11.5 oz chocolate chips, 60% cacao.)
• ¼ cup flax meal
• 1 cup chopped almonds

Directions
Heat oven to 375-degrees F. Cream butter and sugars till smooth. Add eggs, salt and vanilla. Blend till smooth. Add flour and baking soda and beat until incorporated. Add chocolate chips and almonds and fold into batter.
Drop onto a lined baking sheet (I use parchment paper) in 1 tbs. drops. These spread, so don't put them too close together. Bake for 10-minutes until edges are light brown. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes, them move to a rack to cool completely.