Chickpea Flour = Chocolate Chip Cookies

For some reason I was set on buying chickpea flour. And after seeing the long row of packaged chickpea flour at the Italian Centre, here in E-town, I was even more set on trying a recipe with it. The great thing about using chickpea flour is that it is high in protein and generally no eggs are needed for binding. Why haven't I used this sooner with my baking, I do not know. 

Chickpea flour Chocolate Chip Cookies  

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3/4 cup chickpea flour*

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons caster sugar

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted before measuring

3 tablespoons maple syrup 

1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips

2 - 4 teaspoons water, only as needed

Makes 8 to 10 cookies only

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set a side. 

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar)

Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, chocolate chips and water stir until well combined. Add in just enough water to moisten all of the ingredients together. The dough will be fairly thick and sticky. 

Roll the dough into balls and place them onto the prepared baking tray.

Using clean fingers press down on each to flatten. If need be dampen fingers with water first, to prevent the dough sticking to your fingers.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until lightly golden.

After removing the baking tray from the oven, and here is a trick I have found out along the way in my baking travels, take a fork and press down lightly on the top of each cookie to flatten them a bit. This will compact the cookie, giving it more of a chewy centre and crisp edge. Try this tip with some of the cookie recipes you already bake.   

Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes: Small batches do make sense considering when using melted coconut oil because as it cools it solidifies back to it's original form. So you have to work fast. Which is not a problem as this recipe is easy, only one bowl! I found that baking the cookies for 12 minutes was sufficient. They had a lovely golden colour and the bottoms were perfect. Nice and golden all the way round. You could try and replace the maple syrup with golden syrup my only concern is that golden syrup is thicker which might change the consistency of the dough therefore possibly adding more water, as needed. If you can not find mini chocolate chips then use standard chocolate chips however you may have to give them a bash or two to make them into smaller pieces, making it easier to press them down when taken out of the oven. I prefer flattening cookies with my fingers. There is something very child like about this process however using the tools which you already have is a bonus! 

*Some store chickpea flour in the freezer.* 

This week has flown by. Seems like the weeks just keep getting busier for me. Hope everyone is doing great and having a good week so far. - JD