There are chefs and then there are bakers.  I happen to be both.  I believe the way I came into baking was through my insatiable cravings for dessert, and growing up with the woman who mastered that category: my grandmother.  Edna Christmas Knight (so named for her birthday on Christmas Day) was the queen of crème brulee and the richest, most decadent  chocolate mousse you could ever wrap your tongue around.

My grandmothers’ baking influence came in the form of apple pie and chocolate chip cookies.  To me, they are the two standards by which one measures baking success.  I have spent countless hours tweaking the illusive pie crust, which is still far from perfect.  That is a post for another day.  Today it’s about cookies.  Chocolate chip cookies, and gluten free at that.

This past month I had the good fortune of renting a bakery that was up for sale.  My goal was to adapt and test gluten free recipes for baked goods with the possibility of selling them at the farmers markets this summer.  At our Napa Valley markets, Annie the Baker already has the formula down for ‘traditional’ cookies, although they are far from ordinary. They are a cookie-dough lovers’ dream.  My intention was to offer something a smidge ‘healthier’ by using whole grains, or addressing the increasing demand for gluten free products.

You all know that baking is science.  The irony of my baking ‘adventure’ is that science is not my strong suit, and conversions – well, thank goodness for calculators. Other than chocolate desserts, which are very forgiving, my best creations in the kitchen come on the stovetop where I can ad lib.  So this whole baking notion was a double challenge, but one that became a family effort when my sister and her two daughters joined in for the fun.

Of the countless additions and deletions over the course of thirty days, I think we finally nailed a terrific chocolate chip cookie.  Oh, and it just so happens to be gluten free.

Coming to you live from Spain…soon, Grasshopper!  (After all, it took me thirty days;)  In the meantime, here are some of my favorites that were the basis for my creation:

I love this recipe from Shirley at Gluten Free Easily.  She gives a sweet tribute to her Dad, also keeping it in the family.

And another favorite comes from Gluten Free Goddess, a wonderful site with gorgeous photos. Karina uses whole grain flours, including buckwheat, adding a nutty component to these chewy cookies.