My childhood was relatively simple compared to the world today. We had kick the can, meatloaf, grilled cheese sandwiches, LP’s and turntables, board games and Campbell’s Tomato soup (with a can of water added, not milk, thank you). That about sums it up. We even ate Iceburg lettuce and thought it amounted to eating healthy.

As far as I know, food allergies were non-existent. Then, along came the refined food industry and now we are a nation plagued by food sensitivites and illness. One practically needs a PhD to navigate the mysterious ingredients found in the supermarket. Eat processed food at your peril darlings.

One of my favorite things to do as a kid was bake Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies. I adored the whole process and was always mystified as to why they never turned out the same: some were chewy, others were cake-like. No doubt I lacked the chemistry know-how that creates baking finesse and I was not very good at sticking to exact measurements — a must to be a good baker.

I can still see my mother’s black & white Sunbeam mixer and hear the way it click, click, clicked because one of the beaters was bent, thanks to me sticking a spatula in the moving bowl and losing my grip. It spun around, wedged between the metal beaters and twisted one of them permanently. I don’t think my mother ever got over it, even though she rarely used the mixer.

Oh, how I have missed those cookies, but ever since my break up with gluten, I have been unable to find anything that resembles the Toll House joy of my youth. (Let’s be honest, gluten-free baking can be a bit brick like.)

Recently, I found this lovely stand-in recipe for gluten-free cookies that are almost as good as Nestle Toll House. While not quite as crispy and chewy, they deliver on cookie satisfaction.

Shared from the very cool Paleo site PrimalPalate.com:

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Baking Soda

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1 1/2 cups Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, Organic, unrefined

• 1/2 cup Maple Syrup, Grade B

• 2 whole Eggs, Pastured and Room Temperature

• 3 cups Blanched Almond Flour**

Process:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and beat with hand mixer until combined.

Melt coconut oil, pour into batter, and continue to blend until combined.

Stir in chocolate chips.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drop balls of cookie dough, about a tablespoon in size.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Let cool and serve with your favorite beverage.

**If you are like me, and don’t follow directions, I recommend you do here. I made these the first time with Trader Joe’s Almond Flour, which is not blanched, and the cookies were not nearly as fabulous as the second time around with Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal. It rendered an entirely different, and more Toll House-like cookie.

While healing your soul, finding things that offer comfort is one of the most important things you can do. Don’t be shy — collect them like treasures. And really, is there anything more comforting than a really good chocolate chip cookie that doesn’t wreak havoc on your body?

Enjoy and let me know if you have any delicious comfort foods to share.

-db

Who is Dianna Bonny?

Hi, my name is Dianna Bonny. It’s my mission to candidly share my journey with you. For me, it’s all about the healing: to create a radiant healing energy for others who have befallen a similar fate. Together, we can forge beautiful lives of belonging and connection. Thanks for joining me today! I look forward to hearing from you.