Kids in the Kitchen Series

It is no secret that I enjoy having children in my kitchen. I love being a part of their eagerness and excitement when I suggest that we do some baking together. Today, we were presented with a different type of baking challenge. Their grandfather requested cookies that included some of his most favourite ingredients. Additionally, we had to consider several dietary restrictions: the cookies had to be healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free and low in refined sugar. Together we came up with a delicious cookie recipe that the children appropriately named, “Junior Chefs’ Best Cookies.”  Skip to Recipe

Baking is a great opportunity to teach children all about measurements such as fractions, weight, volume and calculating yield. These are skills that they need to learn and it sure is a fun way to create memories that will last a lifetime.

“Always eat something that the farmer grows as part of your snack” was the standing rule that we had with our daughters and now that same rule applies to our grandchildren. Okanagan apricots are in season. We really enjoy this fruit, which is juicy and sweet and always creates a drippy mess on our fingers. The rewards for eating what the farmer grows are these delicious healthy cookies! How great is that?

Junior Chefs’ Best Cookies – GF, DF, Low Refined Sugar

CHEF TALK: The recipe for Junior Chefs’ Best Cookies is very much like a breakfast cookie, loaded with dried fruit and nuts, whole grains and coconut. I have used a gluten-free flour blend in the recipe. However, the recipe also works well with all-purpose flour. In that case, omit the xanthan gum (this is used as a binding agent in gluten-free baked goods because it helps to hold onto moisture, and gives the baked goods some structure). I use whole oats in this recipe because I prefer the texture and appearance, although you can substitute quick oats (not instant).

Yield: approximately 3 dozen (32 to 36 Cookies @ 25 g each)

INGREDIENTS:

Wet Ingredients:

• ½ cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy (120 g)
• ½ cup coconut butter (100 g)
• ½ cup coconut sugar (70 g)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (10 ml)

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten-free flour blend (150 g)
• 1 cup whole oats (110 g)
• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut (70 g)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (3 g)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (4 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (2.5 ml)
• ½ teaspoon salt (3 g)
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Garnish Ingredients:

• ½ cup mini chocolate chips (95 g)
• ½ cup golden raisins or Thomson raisins (75 g)
• ½ cup dried cranberries (70 g)
• ½ cup chopped pecans (65 g)

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 350^oF/325^oF Convection setting. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream the peanut butter, coconut butter and coconut sugar until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. Add the vanilla extract.
4. In another medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients: gluten-free flour, whole oats, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Mix to combine the dry ingredients well.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine until well mixed.
6. Add the remainder of the ingredients to the bowl and mix to combine: chocolate chips, raisins, cranberries and pecans.
7. Using a small cookie scoop, portion the cookie dough (approximately 1 oz.) and place them on the prepared cookie sheets, 12 cookies to a sheet. Keep them well spaced. Flatten the cookies slightly with the palm of your hand.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the cookies appear to change colour. CHEF TIP: Gluten-free flour does not brown the same as wheat flour. Press the centre of the cookies after 10 minutes. The cookies should feel slightly firm as they bake. If they are still soft in the center, bake for a further 2 minutes. I typically spin the trays halfway through the baking time for even baking. Remember, all ovens are not the same, which is why oven temperature accuracy is so important – please see LEARNING TIPS.
9. Cool the cookies on the trays. Enjoy them with a large glass of milk and something that the farmer grows!

Here are the visual steps in photographs that the children took to make the Junior Chefs’ Best Cookies:

STORAGE:

• The baked cookies will keep for a few days at room temperature in a cookie jar. For longer storage, freeze the cookies in an airtight container.
• CHEF TIP:  Another alternative is to freeze the unbaked cookies portions.  Flatten the scoops of cookie dough slightly as directed above, and place them on the parchment-lined baking tray, spaced closely together.  Freeze the cookie dough until firm and then transfer the frozen cookie nuggets into an airtight container or zipper bag in the freezer.  Bake as needed, adding a few minutes to the baking time if you are baking them from frozen.
  

LEARNING TIPS:  

Please CLICK the link above to access my Urb’n’Spice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

• Creaming
• Gluten-Free Flour Blends
• Oven Temperature Accuracy
• Parchment Paper
• Vanilla Extract
• Favourite Kitchen Tools – Scoops for Portioning
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If you try our recipe for Junior Chefs’ Best Cookies, please leave me a comment below with your feedback. Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

 

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