Recipe: Yummy & Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe for chocolate chip cookies from www.welltraveledwife.com on Pinterest, & was very excited because I'm always looking for ways to make my favorite foods more healthy.  I modified the recipe a little to meet my personal tastes/dietary needs.  These cookies are seriously AMAZING!  I cannot say enough good things about how delicious they are.  My cookies came out a little flat, but that is because they are gluten free, the flatness did not effect the flavor though.  My sister who is sometimes a health fanatic, sometimes a junk food crazy, but always a very picky eater, loves these, & trust me if she didn't she would tell me.  My mom (who does not have to eat gluten free) loved them so much that she brought some into work to share.  My family has decided that this recipe will now replace the Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe when we make chocolate chip cookies.  In my opinion, all of this shows just how good these cookies are.  The recipe is below:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil (room temperature, it will be solid)

1 cup plus 1 tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour*

1/2 tsp. salt

1tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

6 oz milk chocolate chips

Optional:

1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded coconut**

*I am wheat intolerant & my sister has Celiac Disease so I used gluten free flour mix that I made myself instead of all purpose flour.  The flour mix is mad of corn flour, oat flour, coconut flour, & an all purpose gluten free baking mix (usually whatever one I can find).  I put all of the different flours together in a bowl & mix them until blended, sometimes I have to do this in a few steps since it makes a lot.  When I am done mixing I put the new mixture in an airtight container & use that in place of all purpose flour.

**I did not put this in because I did not have any in the house, but am going to next time.  Between the coconut oil & the coconut flour from the gluten free flour mix, my cookies had a slight hint of coconut flavor, which I love.

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

-In a bowl, combine the flour (all purpose OR gluten free), baking soda, salt, & baking powder, & mix thoroughly.

-In a different bowl, use a mixer to beat the coconut oil & brown sugar.  Add in the eggs & beat until fluffy.  Add in the vanilla extract.

-Mix the flour mixture into the coconut oil mixture a little bit at a time until all the flour is incorporated.  Add in the chocolate chips & coconut, & mix well.

-Drop dough by small rounded spoons onto prepared baking sheets.  Bake for about 8-9 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges (mine cooked quickly!).  They will be really soft & chewy, with a slightly crispy edge.  Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.
{NOTE: Cook on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper!!}