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Shauna James Ahern’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Who’s Your Baker?

SHAUNA JAMES AHERN is the author of Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back…And How You Can Too as well as the newly-released, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: A Love Story with 100 Tempting Recipes. She is the founder of the hugely popular blog of the same name, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef.

Today’s Giveaway!

To enter to win a copy of Shauna’s cookbook, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: A Love Story with 100 Tempting Recipes, just post a comment! You can enter online for your chance to win all 31 gifts starting December 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010. Get all the recipes! HOLIDAY COOKIE CALENDAR

Today’s Cookie!

From January to October, I like making up my own recipes from scratch, including the baked goods. Now that I bake by weight and use ratios, I love dabbling and playing with flavors to make something new.

However, from October to December, most of the recipes on our website are adapted from tried-and-trusted gluten recipes, written by the best bakers in the world. There′s something nostalgic about the holidays. We crave the smell of cinnamon and clove in our kitchen, the warmth of hot air on our faces when we open the door, and the pleasure in other people′s faces when we give them cookies.

These cookies don′t come from a famous pastry chef or cookbook author. Instead, my friend Tamiko sent me an anecdotal recipe when I asked about favorite holiday cookie recipes online. â€œThese come from my best friend from college, Marcy. We used to make midnight Safeway runs just so we could bake these together.â€

That was enough to compel me to make them. I′m so glad I did.

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CRACKLE COOKIES
As Tamiko wrote to me, â€œThey’re melty when you have them hot; then they are light and fluffy, but they cool into brownie-corner-like deliciousness.â€

What are you waiting for? Start baking.

1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
140 grams Aherns′ all-purpose gluten-free flour mix
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 °. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a small pan set over a pot of boiling water, melt the chocolate chips. Scrape the melted chocolate into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the brown sugar and canola oil, and then mix until they are well combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, until each is fully incorporated into the batter. With the mixer running, pour in the vanilla. Stop the mixer.

Combine the flour, xanthan gum, guar gum, baking powder, and salt. Whisk them together to combine and aerate them. With the stand mixer running, pour in the flour mixture, a bit at a time. Mix until the flour is fully combined with the batter, which will be the texture of thick cake batter. You might be tempted to add more flour. Resist.

Instead, cover the dough with plastic wrap and put the bowl into the refrigerator until it is firm and clay-like, about 1 hour. (You can keep it in the refrigerator longer than this, if you wish to bake them in batches.) Scooping about a teaspoon′s worth of dough, shape the dough into a round ball. Dredge it in the powdered sugar. Repeat this, leaving about 2 inches of space between each ball of dough, until the baking sheet is full.

Bake the cookies until they are firm to the touch and crackled on top, about 10 to 12 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through the baking. Take them out of the oven.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a baking rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Posted in Gluten-Free Holiday Cookie Countdown 2010, home-pg-gallery, Recipes | December 23rd, 2010 by Silvana

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63 Comments on “Shauna James Ahern’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Crackle Cookies”

On 23 December 2010 ( )

Shauna James Ahernâ€™s Gluten-Free Chocolate Crackle Cookies | CookingPlanet Said:

[...] Gluten-Free Foods Vegan Foods : Shauna James Ahernâ€™s Gluten-Free Chocolate Crackle Cookies [...]

1
On 23 December 2010 ( )

gaile Said:

Gosh those look so good I think I would eat the whole batch by myself!

2
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Laurel Said:

Look good enough to eat.

3
On 23 December 2010 ( )

dish towel diaries: Recipes for gluten-free baking and cooking … | Gluten Free Cooking Said:

[...] with food allergies.â€ friend me : twitter Â· facebook. Sign up for free recipe updates! … gluten-free cooking – Google Blog Search This entry was posted in Gluten-free Cooking and tagged baking, cooking, diaries, dish, [...]

4
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Ari Said:

I just want to shove my face in! She’s so talented!

5
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Gluten Free Diva Said:

A combination of cookie and brownie! Yummmmm!!!!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Amanda S Said:

Oh these look so yummy! I can’t wait to try them.

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Mary Said:

I think my granddaughter, who cannot tolerate gluten, would love these.

140 g of the flour mix……can you translate that into cups or something??

Thanks.

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Diana Lesire Brandmeyer Said:

I want this book. I am making these cookies today!
dlbrandmeyer @gmail.com

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Linda Said:

can’t wait to try these and I’d love to win this book

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Wendy Said:

These look wonderful!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Lisa Said:

Gotta love anything with chocolate!!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Johanna B Said:

I read her first book twice and would love to have the cookbook. Her chocolate crackles look wonderful.

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Kate C. Said:

My son is allergic to dairy and peanuts, so this looks like a great recipe for him. But where would I find xanthan gum and guar gum?

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Lucy Said:

These look soooo tasty. I’ve seen lots of similar recipes floating around, though they all contain gluten. I had been contemplating figuring out a version that is GF, but now here is one with all the hard work done for me! All I need now are the ingredients…it might be time to make a store run.

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Sarah Bellamy Said:

These look great! Got to get baking!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Vickie Martin Said:

Love her books – enjoy her recipes

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Natalie Said:

These cookies look wonderful! I will definitely try these soon!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Sarah Said:

Yum!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Jen Said:

These look great (as does your book)! Can’t wait to try them out :)

20
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Tweets that mention dish towel diaries: Recipes for gluten-free baking and cooking Â» Blog Archive Â» Shauna James Ahernâ€™s Gluten-Free Chocolate Crackle Cookies -- Topsy.com Said:

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Shauna James Ahern and Silvana Nardone. Silvana Nardone said: Get @glutenfreegirl's Chocolate Crackle Cookies+win her+ @glutenfreechef's hot cookbook, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef! http://bit.ly/fPVZYJ [...]

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

RG Said:

Delicious.

22
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Teri Said:

Shauna’s book sounds like just the one I need! Thanks for such a wonderful blog! What a blessing!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Sharon Said:

My entire family would enjoy these! brownies in a cookie!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Michelle Maskaly Said:

let’s hope mine come out looking just as nice! :)

25
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Marissa Said:

This makes me sooooo happy to see a GF version of Chocolate crackles! This is one cookie that we consistently made growing up! So excited to make this! Thanks you!!!!!!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Natalie Rae Said:

I am looking forward to making Gluten-free cookies for the first time- noe to find free time to do it! :)

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Jamie M. Said:

Thank you for posting this. I am a little short in the amount of cookies I made to give out this year but I have all the ingredients to make these. I’ll be curious to see what people say when they find out they’re gluten free!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Lisa Said:

I bought a scale just so I could make her recipies. These look great, and I can’t wait to make them!

29
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Laura Said:

Chocolate. ‘Nuf said.

30
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Tina Said:

Checked out her website – what a great source of information. I love it when others make my introduction to gluten-free eating easy.

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

jeanelane Said:

These cookies look delightful! Reading the recipe, they sound even more delightful!

32
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Sophia Said:

All your recipes are wonderful. Already have the book and am looking to making all of them!

33
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Jodi Said:

Excellent! Those are my favorite cookies. I had resigned myself to never having them again. :( We called them Chocolate Crinkles, but I could easily recognize them by the picture! I am so excited! I have to get a scale now (I read the reasoning for the cooking by weight).

34
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Kathy Said:

I have found Shauna’s web site very enjoyable and helpful as I have begun my adventure in to gluten free aprox 1 month ago. These cookies sound wonderful. Thank you.

35
On 23 December 2010 ( )

Maggie Said:

Oh my dear goodness! These sound amazing! Thanks for another great recipe!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Christine Said:

I am going through a chocolate phase right now, so these look great…and I am intrigued by the love story of the book!

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Marsha A. Said:

Those cookies look awesome. Thanks for another great cookie recipe.

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Gail Said:

Why do you keep doing this to me? I told myself that I have waaaaay more than enough gluten-free chocolate cookie recipes and I’m not going to collect any more and then I see this recipe and last night’s lecture is gone in a puff of smoke! I hope I win the cookbook because I would enjoy trying her other recipes, I’m sure.

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On 23 December 2010 ( )

Karen Said:

Shauna is an inspiration to me to bake and cook all things gluten free. Her books are great! These cookies look incredibly yummy.

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On 24 December 2010 ( )

Eileen Said:

I second (or third, or ???) the swoon over a cookie/brownie hybrid. Exactly what I’ve been craving, and as usual Shauna does it soooo yummily!!!

41
On 24 December 2010 ( )

Holiday Dish Recipes – Diet.com Video | Health, Fitness and Exercise Said:

[...] dish towel diaries: Recipes for gluten-free baking and cooking » Blog Archive » Shauna J… [...]

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On 24 December 2010 ( )

Janis Said:

Want to make these! I’m not sure how to convert the flour into a measurement I can use since I don’t have anything to weigh grams in.

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On 24 December 2010 ( )

shopwork Said:

Would adore this book, and the cookies look divine!

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On 25 December 2010 ( )

Rachel Said:

Wow these look amazing! I’ve been wanting to check out Shauna’s new book for awhile now! :)

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On 25 December 2010 ( )

Jodi Said:

These cookies are amazing. I made them last night and there is no way you could guess that they are gluten-free! They taste just like the chocolate crinkles I used to love and the consistency is correct too! I liked them so much that I am going to try the Aherns’ flour mix with other baked goods and see how it works. We usually use Bob’s Red Mill or cook recipes that have specific flours in them. This will be fun! I want to get her book now, too! If she can come up with a recipe like this that so closely matches the original glutenous cookie, she must have other recipes that I would love!

BTW: the weighing of flours is not that big of a deal. I hadn’t ever done it before, but I decided to try it after reading Shauna’s explanation of why it is important (see the flour mix link). It seemed like she had a good point and it didn’t put me out too much. All I had handy was a mailing scale, so I used that. Now I will buy a more accurate kitchen scale, since it was easy and had such good results! I now have an excellent flour mix to use for other things, too.

I can’t say enough nice things about this recipe and the flour mix!!!

46
On 25 December 2010 ( )

MaryK Said:

One of my favorites.

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On 26 December 2010 ( )

Sandra Said:

This cookie looks so soft…yum!

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On 26 December 2010 ( )

FabFrugalFood Said:

I adore GFG in all forms – MUST HAVE this cookbook! (And these cookies!)

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On 26 December 2010 ( )

Tasha Said:

yummy!

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On 26 December 2010 ( )

chris Said:

These look amazing!!! I am sooo excited to try all of the recipes in the cookbook!

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On 27 December 2010 ( )

Alison Said:

My mom used to make these when my brother and I were little so I’m excited to try them again with a gluten free recipe!

52
On 27 December 2010 ( )

gluten girl in austin Said:

i love the rustic look of shauna’s photos & homemade taste of her recipes. she’s so approachable!

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On 28 December 2010 ( )

Alena Mack Said:

These were my absolute favorite cookies in the world when I was younger. I think this is one of the recipes (non gluten free!) that I learned how to bake on! Thank you thank you thank you!

54
On 29 December 2010 ( )

Christine Kelly Said:

These look amazing, I would love to have this book! Thank you for sharing!

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On 29 December 2010 ( )

autumn Said:

i’ve seen these cookies around in other forms, but happy to see them gluten-free here.

56
On 29 December 2010 ( )

Michelle B Said:

I would love to have this cookbook. This recipe looks yummy.

57
On 30 December 2010 ( )

Melissa Hungria Said:

I haven’t ever had these (gluten-free or not). Looking forward to them! I got to browse this book at a gluten-free hamburger restaurant (the only gluten-free restaurant in my city). The photography is beautiful! I didn’t have enough time with this book!

58
On 30 December 2010 ( )

Amy Said:

Ok, I making them ASAP!!! Looks great and easy

59
On 31 December 2010 ( )

Shauna James Ahernâ€™s Gluten-Free Chocolate Crackle Cookies | CookingPlanet Said:

[...] Recipes : Shauna James Ahernâ€™s Gluten-Free Chocolate Crackle Cookies [...]

60
On 31 December 2010 ( )

Tami Rivera Said:

Ohhhh!!! I love this book! Cookbook sure… but its so much more! Its really truly a love story! Totally refreshing!

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On 31 December 2010 ( )

Tina Said:

these were my favorite cookies growing up

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On 06 January 2011 ( )

gluten-free shortbread Said:

[...] if you go over to our friend Silvana Nardone’s blog, Dish Towel Diaries, you’ll find our recipe for chocolate crackle cookies, inspired by our friend [...]

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