Gluten-Free or Regular Chocolate Chip Cookie Cockaigne

That title is a mouthful, isn’t it? Cockaigne is pronounced cock-ayne, although I tend to pronounce it like a French word (cock-enye), and it means “an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease”. This recipe is taken from the Joy of Cooking, and I think the extreme luxury and ease part of the chocolate chip cookie recipe comes in the form of the oatmeal, chocolate chunks, and nuts that are added to the original recipe. My modified version is gluten-free.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (175°C) and make sure your butter and egg are room temperature. If you make this spur of the moment, just use a cold egg, and put the butter in the microwave for 10 seconds. Beat 2 sticks of butter (230g) with 3/4 c white sugar and 2/3 c light brown sugar.

Add the large egg and beat that in. Then I tend to add all the small ingredients, which are : 1 /4 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoon milk. Mix it all together, baby.

Then add 1 1/3 cups oats. If you’re making this for someone who is gluten-intolerant, you need to pay attention to four things. The first is the flour. In the States, I like Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free mix. In Germany or France I use the Schar mix for bread or for patisserie. And in England, the Dove brand is my favourite. When I can, I special-order it to use in France.

After that, you need to make sure the oats are gluten-free – that they’re not milled with other grains. In the US, Bob’s Red Mill has a brand, I believe. In France, it’s Exquidia. Then there’s the baking powder. I remember it being easy to find baking powder in the States without gluten – even the Arm & Hammer makes GF. In France, you need to visit the organic section of the store.

Finally, you need to make sure the chocolate chips say gluten-free on the label. In France, I can get dark, light, white, and sugar-free chocolate chips. For this recipe, I used a dark and white chip combination.

Mix in the oats, and then add 1 3/4 cups flour. I used a self-rising flour (Dove brand), but I’ve used an all-purpose flour in the past. Ether works. Then add 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. You can do any combination – if you’re not gluten-free, you can even use part butterscotch. Otherwise, white, light, or dark. You can also add a cup of chips, and a half cup of a chopped-up chocolate bar. Think extreme luxury and ease. Ha!

Finally, add 3/4 cup nuts if you want. (I didn’t*).

Take a tablespoon and scoop generous balls of dough, 12 to a baking sheet. The recipe says you need to grease the baking sheet, but I never do and it’s just fine. Bake for 8-11 minutes (turn the baking sheet after 8 minutes if it’s not done).

Then put on a rack to cool.

Eat your cookie cockaigne with milk or ice cream or coffee – as you wish! However, do eat them with friends because this recipe makes three and a half dozen cookies. Which is 42 large cookies … which is way too much for YOU.

If you’re in serious danger, they freeze well too.

* I made this again and added salted cashews (reducing the salt to 1/4 teaspoon) and it was delicious.

If you want to see more recipes by A Lady in France, click here for the recipe page.

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