Gluten-Free Chocolate Thumb Print Cookies

MAKES 24 2-INCH COOKIES

These vegan cookies, chewy like a brownie with a delightful fudgy center, contain a double dose of chocolate.

1¼  cups gluten-free cookie flour mix
½  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½  teaspoon xanthan gum
½  teaspoon baking soda
1  teaspoon cream of tartar
¼  teaspoon salt
⅓ cup canola oil
⅓ cup rice milk
2  teaspoons vanilla extract
⅔ cup sugar
½  cup Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Mix thoroughly, being sure to work out any lumps.

3. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, thoroughly combine canola oil and rice milk. Add vanilla extract and sugar. Mix well. 

4. Add the dry ingredients to wet and mix on low speed, scraping sides of bowl.

5. Scoop out dough by heaping teaspoonfuls and place on cookie sheets, 12 per sheet. Wet hands with a little water and roll dough into balls.

6. Bake in preheated oven on center rack for 5 minutes.

7. Put chocolate chips in a microwave-safe dish and melt. This will take about a minute; check chips every 15 seconds and stir. Once chips melt, set them aside.

8. Remove cookies from oven. Wet your thumb slightly with cool water and, working quickly, make a thumb print in the center of each cookie.
Fill thumb prints with ¼ teaspoon melted chocolate.

9. Return cookies to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.  

10. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack.  

Each cookie contains: 104 calories, 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 16g carbohydrate, 52mg sodium, 1g fiber, 1g protein.

Recipe by Cybele Pascal, author of The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook: How to Bake Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts and Sesame.