My mostly gluten-free, diabetic husband loves chocolate chip cookies. Needless to say, that’s been more of a metaphorical thing than a literal thing for quite a while. Then, I was visited by an inspiration.
Sprouted grain flour!!!
Sprouted grain flour is what it sounds like. Flour made, in this case, from whole, organic wheat berries soaked in water until the grains sprout like the seeds they are. This takes a few days of rinsing and draining and soaking some more. After they’re actually sprouted, with a tiny white “tail” of a new plant, they need to be drained really well and dehydrated until really, really dry and then ground into flour. The first cool thing about sprouted grain flour is that, nutritionally, the body reacts to the flour as though it were more vegetable than grain, which lowers the glycemic index of the recipe and is easier for many, many people to tolerate than wheat. The second cool thing is that, though I can, I don’t have to go through the whole sprouting and grinding process myself. Neither do you! There are lots of sources for sprouted grain products and flours online. I buy mine from some nice women in Alabama at Healthyflour.com. For Atlanta, it’s even pretty local!
Anyway, after some experimenting, this is the recipe the girls named Grampy’s Special Cookies. They’re even better, now!
The first thing you’ll notice is that there is, in fact, sugar in these. I don’t do artificial sweeteners. And we don’t eat these by the handful. Real food. Watch the portions. Everybody needs a treat now and then!
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. I use unbleached.
If you’re mixing by hand or with a hand mixer, cream together in a large mixing bowl:
2 sticks room temp unsalted butter, preferably organic, grass fed, cultured.
1 scant c. light brown sugar (not packed) and 1 c. granulated sugar, both organic if possible.
2 good eggs, preferably pasture raised.
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract.
Sift together in a second bowl:
3 c. organic, whole wheat, sprouted grain flour.
1 1/2 tsp. good Celtic sea salt.
1 tsp. baking soda.
1 1/2 tsp. aluminium free baking powder.
Add mixed dry ingredients gradually to wet ingredients and mix well. Add and stir through:
About 12 oz. Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate drops or roughly chopped bars.
1 c. diced fresh pecans (or walnuts).
If you’re using a stand mixer, start with wet ingredients and cream well. Add dry ingredients, gradually, in order listed with baking powder last. (It effects the rising!) Remove bowl from mixer stand and mix in chocolate and nuts by hand.
Using a medium sized spring scoop or 2 soup spoons, shape cookies into same sized balls on parchment lined baking sheets, spacing generously as they will spread. Bake about 20 minutes until evenly browned and tender-crisp. Remove parchment paper with cookies to cool on counter. Excellent with a good cup of coffee or even a glass of mellow red wine! Store in an airtight cookie tin or glass container, separated with parchment or wax paper. Best within three days, though they probably won’t last that long!
Again, not an every day event for us, but Grampy needs a treat now and then!
ps… This recipe was inspired by Kim Boyce in her excellent book, GOOD to the GRAIN.
pps… Grammy workshop coming up, soon. You many want to plan for some cookies!