Crispy Chewy White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (gluten free! or not.)

I would like to announce to the entire world, via the internet, that I HAVE ALREADY LOST ALL THE BABY WEIGHT. Yeah me! I rock!

Well, "technically" I have 4 lbs to go, but my boobs have grown from tennis balls to small watermelons, so I think that those last 4 lbs doesn't count. I mean, 4 extra lbs of boobs isn't exactly anything to complain about. right? Women pay thousands of dollars to plastic surgeons for 4 lbs of extra boobs like this, so I'm going to call it even and say that in only 5 weeks, I HAVE LOST ALL THE BABY WEIGHT! And I have great boobs!

I totally deserve a cookie. So I made myself some.



And by the way? These cookies are excellent. What better way to reward myself than with a totally awesome melt in your mouth cookie? Gluten, no gluten, I can't even tell. You can make them whatever which way you want to.

What I like, nay LOVE, about these cookies (besides the whole oatmeal and white chocolate part) is the texture. Often gluten-free anything is texturally horrible - crumbly and dry, or gummy and wet. Same goes for oatmeal cookies (gluten or otherwise), which are often cakey, crumbly, and dry. But these cookies are nothing of the kind; they defy stereotypes. They are crisp, buttery, oaty, hearty, and chewy all at the same time.

Can't eat gluten? Maybe you have been living under the perception that oatmeal is off limits. WRONG! Recent research has shown that oats do not contain gluten. Any gluten in oats is the result of cross-contamination during growing and processing, and gluten-free oats should now be available at your local health food store. I have been using Bob's Red Mill rolled oats, and Bob? I love you so much. Thankyou for giving me oats again. I am dedicating these cookies to you. Well, that and my body's return to pre-pregnancy jeans. I love you, pre-pregnancy jeans!



Crispy Chewy White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from Cooks Illustrated

you will need this stuff:
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup sweet rice flour
1/3 cup quinoa flour
1/4 tsp xanthum gum
1 pinch salt
(1 cup all purpose flour can be used instead of the GF flours and xanthum gum)

1 + 3/4 sticks butter (14 tbs)
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg from a happy, free range chicken
1 tsp vanilla
2 + 1/2 cups GF rolled oats
1 + 1/4 cups white chocolate chips (use real chocolate! buy a 6oz bar if necessary)


Method:
PREHEAT your oven to 350 degrees, and mix together flours and xanthum gum


Cream together 1 + 3/4 stick (14 tbs) butter, 1 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Beat together on high until butter lightens in color (about 5 minutes). Try REALLY hard NOT to sample. Because if you do, well, you will probably start to feel sick. Not that I would know.


Add 1 egg and 1 tbs vanilla, and beat until fully incorporated.


Gently mix in flour mixture on medium setting.


Add 2 + 1/2 cup Oats.


Add 1 + 1/4 cup white chocolate chips. Mix gently together until incorporated.


Divide Cookies evenly into small balls, about 2tbs each, and set on parchment paper on a cool cookie sheet (a hot sheet will make cookies melt prematurely).


Bake 15-20 minutes, until cookies are golden. Let cool, then transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy!