Wheat Free Chocolate Chip cookies with a note of gratitude

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Did you ever see a car sticker that says - "If you can read this, thank your teacher" ? and whenever I do, I, with the bottom of my heart thank everybody who helped be the way I am today. - Good or Bad, everybody had a contribution  to make to my life & I had a lot to learn. That's how the life goes. like a train journey where you are traveling with so many others - some stay with you forever & some are remembered for their annoyance. There are lot many people from - my family to S to my friends to my teachers to my roommates to whom I will be eternally thankful for letting be myself & embracing me with my flaws & still love me. 


As I was sifting through my old posts the other day, I stumbled up this -

Your eyes say what I want to know...
Your cheeky smile makes me glow.
What power do you possess that makes me melt...
Because of every word spoken, every touch felt.

Every awake moment is spent thinking of you...
Every second apart feels so wasted, makes me blue.
The warmth from your enclosed arms is a haven...
Gives me unparalleled security - a feeling of heaven.

The words which I want to say have not yet been found...
Every thought, every feel so deep and so profound.
But on this day, to let u know what I am thinking will just suffice
Cos you just got to see how much I love you through my "lovestruck" eyes........

 ..it was February 14th, year 2008 and when I wanted to dedicate a poem to my dear S. Knowing how creative my dear friend was,  I asked her for help and she wrote the above poem. Tears just swelled from my eyes when I read this for the first time and moments like these make you feel how grateful you are to have such wonderful people around you. Even to till date, I feel lucky & thank god for sending such a good friend like her. :)

It is human tendency to search and crave for that "absolute happiness" but isn't it wise for us to just -

‘Be Content with what we have; rejoice in the way things are and when we realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to us.’

~Lao Tzu (from Zen Habits)

So, do you have anybody to thank in your life. If so, please do and let them know how lucky you are to have them in your life. :)

Now coming today's recipe - Wheat-free Vegan Chocolate chip cookies made with just Oat flour. I made these for one my good friends who has wheat allergy and she was so thrilled to taste these cookies. Without any egg or all-purpose-flour or butter, these cookies are decadent & absolutely guilt-free. Even my non-vegan friends at office enjoyed them thoroughly & rated 4 out 5. :)

Wheat Free Vegan Chocolate Chip cookies (Adapted from Post Punk Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil or melted margarine (I used canola oil)
1 tablespoon ground flax seed meal
1/4 cup almond milk (or soymilk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 F.

Step 2: Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. (I skipped this step as my sifter was broken).

Step 3: In a mixing bowl, whisk together flax meal and almond milk. Add sugar, oil and vanilla extract and whisk vigorously until all ingredients are emulsified (for about a minute).

Step 4: Mix wet ingredients into dry, fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Step 5: Drop batter by the tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet, leaving and 1 1/2 inches of space inbetween cookies.

Step 6: Bake for 10 -12 minutes. (Make sure not to over-bake. Even if they look a little under-cooked after 12 minutes, take them out & they will properly set while cooling). Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes. Using a spatula, put them on a cooling rack or plate to cool the rest of the way. Store in air-tight containers.

Enjoy!

Notes:

1. Oat flour can be found in any grocery stores. If not, just grind any steel cut oats to a very very fine powder.The oat flour can be easily substituted with Whole wheat pastry flour, All purpose flour or a combination of both.

2. Chocolate chips can be replaced with any kind of dried fruit and/or nuts.

3. The same cookie dough can be used for thumb-print cookies and fill the center with any kind of jam/jelly.

Hope you all have a great week ahead.

until next time,
Siri