*That is, if you can eat oats. Or can tolerate certified gluten-free oats.
I've been loving a chocolate oat cookie made by Kayak Cookies, a small one-woman operation producing the salty, crispy, chocolately cookies on Cape Cod (according to this article, they were first produced in DC at a joint called Teaism).
The cookie is different from your standard oatmeal cookie: it is plump and, when fresh, moist in the middle. It is a bit crisp and is more crumbly than chewy. There's a liberal dusting of sea salt on the top of the cookie (I use Maldon, from the UK). But I can't eat these cookies, at least not often (probably not a bad thing) - the second ingredient on the label is wheat. So I set out to make a version that I could eat. Not a vegan version. Not yet. First I just wanted to get the texture right.
I experimented twice with the recipe. I didn't love the first version, a slightly-too-oaty cookie that was soft and chewy (oops). I gave up for nearly 6 months. And then this morning I tasted Kayak's cookie again. And decided to give it one more try. And finally it worked.
Unlike the last time, I decided to use no other grains except oats in the recipe. The flour is derived from coconut, something you can find on Amazon or in your local natural food retailer.
Usually I'd use organic oats in the recipe, but I had on hand a couple pounds of Bingo's amazing sprouted oats. The oats are grown in Quebec, unlike most oats that I believe are grown in Manitoba. Bingo, located in Brattleboro, Vermont, focuses on granola but also sells their organic, sprouted oats at the farmers market. They'll also ship some to you if you call them. They're a bit of a luxury, but I think they're worth it. After all, decadent chocolate oat cookies aren't an every day item, right?
Cake and Commerce's Gluten-free Chocolate Salted Oats Cookies
Yield: approximately 3 dozen 1.5 oz cookies
- 8oz (2 sticks) butter
- 7 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 8 oz chocolate chunks or chips
- 1 C Rapadura
- 2 eggs
- 1 T vanilla extract
- 3 C oats (I prefer sprouted oats; rolled oats will also produce a great cookie)
- 2/3 C Organic Coconut Flour
- 2/3 C unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 t Agar Agar powder (guar or xanthan gum may be substituted)
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1 t fine sea salt
- Approximately 1 T Maldon Sea Salt (or other flat pressed salt)
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt 4 oz (1 stick) butter with the 7 oz of bitter chocolate (or 5 oz for a softer cookie). Allow to cool.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine rapadura, remaining stick of butter (at room temperature). Mix until lighter and creamy.
Add in eggs and mix until completely combined. Add vanilla. Mix.
Add in cooled chocolate and butter mixture. Mix for about 10 seconds, scrape down, and mix for 10 more seconds.
In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients EXCEPT the remaining chocolate chips (you'll add those at the end). Note: if you want softer cookies that spread a little more, reduce oats by 1/2 cups.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in bowl and mix until cookie dough comes together. Scrape down bowl and mix for about 5 more seconds. Add the 8 oz of chocolate chunks or chips. IMPORTANT NOTE: if you like chocolate chunks in your cookies, feel free to add more. It will make the cookies more...chocolately!
With a 1-1/2 oz ice cream scoop, scoop cookies onto parchment or Silpat. There doesn't need to be much space between the cookies, they do not spread much. Push down tops a little, if desired.
Sprinkle tops of cookies with Maldon sea salt. Press down gently on salt flakes so they won't fall off after baking.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until shiny on top, crinkles appear, and bottom is slightly colored. Bake longer for a drier cookie. It will harden significantly when cooled, so try to avoid overbaking unless you love a more crumbly cookie.
