Friday, April 29, 2011

Dairy-Free Chip Cookies and The Beginning of a New Adventure…

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Dairy Free? Can in really be done? I mean… can it REALLY be done with someone like me? A month or two ago, I would have told you ABSOLUTELY NOT, but I have found a few gems a long the way that have really helped out. Rice Milk is one of them!

Alternative milks I like (in this order):

  • Flax Milk is my favorite, but it is newer and hard to find. It tastes really good- vanilla flavored… Mmmmm! And it has that Omega 3 that is really good for you. They enrich these milks, so they have just as much calcium as a glass of cow’s milk- which I think is pretty cool.
  • I also really like Rice Milk- the flavor isn’t too strong, but it does taste like rice. My husband didn’t like any of them until he tasted this, but he love rice, so there you have it.
  • I also like Coconut Milk- it was so good in cereal!

However, I’m not as big a fan of Almond or Soy Milk- which are much easier to find. I just didn’t care for the flavor as much, but that is just my two bits on the subject. Why Dairy Free?, you may be asking. My husband and daughter have had a couple health issues, and we’ve found out they might have a food allergy/irritation to dairy, so I’ve just been trying to cook most of our meals without. I have been surprised at the difference- we have all felt better. My husbands stomach pains have decreased and my daughters issues are almost gone! It is hard, I still haven’t completely gotten rid of the cheese and yogurt- those have been the hardest, but we’ve found that the low fat kinds seem to cause the worst reactions.

ANYWAY- enough about all that- I did try out these cookies I found on the side of the Rice Dream carton. They were pretty good. I like the maple syrup flavor in them—although I don’t know how “healthy” that was with all the high fructose corn syrup… oh well, I guess you win some and you loose some. :) It reminds me a little bit of the guy I saw using one of those aluminum water containers to “help the environment” and I watched him open a plastic water bottle, pour it in, and toss it…Hmmmm…I guess you just do the best you can and just hope to yourself you are making a difference. Maybe you just feel a little less guilty anyway. :)

Huey's Chip Cookies (Rice Dream)

Makes 12 large cookies or 3 dozen small cookies

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup unbleached white flour
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 3/4 cup carob or chocolate chips (I used mini dark chocolate chips.)
  • 1/2 cup Rice Dream Classic Original or Vanilla
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 Tbs. baking powder
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Drop by scoop or spoon onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake 10 - 20 minutes (depending on size) until edges begin to brown.

2 comments:

jess and seth said...

My hat is off to you, Sir Percy. It is nearly impossible to cook without dairy, but I know if anyone can make things delicious still, it's you. Those cookies look just as tasty as any other chocolate chip cookies! :)

Melinda said...

So where do you buy this "milk" -- and have you priced Amazon to see if you can find it cheaper? Maybe even in a Subscribe and Save option under the Amazon Mom program. You should look into it - and share what you find! Wow I really want to talk to you now and catch up on your LIFE! ;-D I guess that's what blogging is for, huh? :-)