GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

It's an easy scenario to imagine: in anticipation of houseguests, you've spent hours in the kitchen preparing a delicious snack. Always mindful of your guests' dietary needs and preferences, you've ordered vegan chocolate chips and tracked down a recipe for vegan cookies, and made all the necessary substitutions. But once your guests arrive and it comes time to sample your wares, several of them are forced to pass, citing a strict gluten free diet.

Today, more people than ever are appreciating the potential benefits of a gluten free diet, including those concerned about daily carbohydrate counts, allergies to wheat, gluten intolerance, and sufferers of celiac disease. In response, health and specialty stores across the country have begun to carry specific gluten free foods, including gluten free chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes, though, these products can be difficult to track down, especially for those of us who don't live in major metropolitan areas.

Thankfully, the online marketplace allows even the remotest of chefs fans to bake their own gluten free chocolate chip cookies. Recently, several crucial products have become more readily available through specialty websites. First and foremost are vegan chocolate chips, which are certified animal product and gluten free, and retain the same great taste of their milk chocolate counterparts. Secondly are products designed to get around gluten's natural role in the baking process. White rice flout, brown rice flout, and potato flour can all achieve the traditional, chewy texture in a gluten free chocolate chip cookie.

So the next time you bake, either for guests, or family, or just for yourself, why not take the extra care to ensure your chocolate chip cookies are gluten free. You never know who might drop by for a bite!