Shaker Gourmet: Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Our recipe this week comes from Shaker Crissa, who says: "It took me many tries - and several years - to figure out a cookie recipe my spouse would love. She does not like sweets, but enjoys fresh cookies and bittersweet chocolates. Cutting down sugar, balancing the liquids, is difficult... This recipe can have either the sugar or butter halved, but results in a denser cookie that is more difficult to bake."

Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups All Purpose Flour (white or whole wheat)
1 cup Oat Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt (or less)

2 Large Eggs
1 cup Margarine, Butter, or Shortening (softened) (no clarified butter)
1 tbsp Molasses
2 tsp Vanilla Extract (I prefer Vanillin)

2 cup chocolate chips

--Pre-heat oven to 375F.

--Mix dry goods in large bowl. Whip eggs, butter, flavorings before folding into dry. Fold until evenly mixed, then fold in chips.

-- Place on baking sheet in small patties - they willfluff, and only spread about 50%. Bake at 375F for ~15 min until tops are no longer wet. To speed cooking, you may want to broil on low the last minute; this also results in denser cookies and can shorten baking by 5 minutes. They will be nearly cake-like when they're done.

Crissa adds: "These cookies are designed to complement the melty chocolate, and should be served warm. They're less sweet than regulat cookies - and oat flour or molasses is probably not common in everyone's kitchen, but are what make this recipe work and be less sweet. I usually make this and then freeze the majority, only making a handful of cookies at a time."

If you'd like to participate in Shaker Gourmet, email me at: shakergourmet (at) gmail.com; include a link to your blog if you have one!