Coconut Flour Cookie Conundrum

So I’ve been making a half-hearted effort to go gluten-free. I’m trying to see if this will have any impact on our health and behavior. Not with the half-pantsed attempts of course, but once I’m finally doing it right.

I do get into things in fits and starts. I’m just trying to build momentum and hoping to get really rolling with it eventually. Hope is the operative word.

As previously blogged, I’ve been met with underwhelming results. I was already sad about having to cut out flour (since I love baking and baked treats); the fact that the gluten-free substitute doesn’t exactly mimic the original gluten-rife goodie is quite depressing.

I was not quite ready to throw in the towel just yet – as I’m usually wont to do (my willpower and muscle tone are of the same mousse-like consistency).

I thought the buns weren’t very good because I hadn’t used xantham gum. Gluten adds elasticity and, without it, the dough would be dry and crumbly. Xantham gum is a thickener that kind of mimics the gluten element in the usual flour, so I made sure to use some this time around. I found a recipe for coconut flour oatmeal raisin cookies with mostly five-star ratings and got to making it with a tweak here and there.

So, just like the cinnamon buns, they were okay. They weren’t revolting at all. The kids (except Prince Picky himself – my youngest – who knew right away these cookies were different) ate them by the handfuls as usual. Sigh. They just weren’t my usual goodies, which I’ve understandably grown fond of and attached to after all these years of making them.

By the way, I added big chunks of dark chocolate, so the kids thought they were chocolate chip cookies. My eldest bit into her first and yelled, “Lies! These are raisins!”😂 I just told her she was a victim of her own assumptions. She doesn’t really mind raisins, as long as they’re not mixed into savory viands (children of Marikina would understand).

I had to accept that anything I baked using coconut flour would end up tasting like macaroons. They’re not the worst things to resemble in flavor; I just don’t want every frickin’ thing to taste like them. These cookies, which I had initially intended to be just oatmeal raisin, kind of taste like cowboy cookies, which I don’t make because of the coconut flakes.😬 We don’t really hate coconut; we’re just not big fans.🙃 I guess I have to try other gluten-free flours as well.

The thing is, do you know the price difference between coconut flour and gluten-free all-purpose flour? GF AP flour is more than double the cost! Let me know if there’s an affordable option. Maybe a local one? All the ones I can find are imported, so that might explain the price.

So our (pseudo) gluten-free saga continues… Are you cutting anything out of your diet? How’s that going for you?✌️