Gluten Free Rolled Oatmeal Chip Cookies

Gluten Free Rolled Oatmeal Chip Cookies are loaded with chocolate! They are soft and chewy on the inside with a bit of crunch on the outside. These cookies are easy to make, but if you are looking to save time you can drop them on a cookie sheet instead of rolling them into a log! They freeze well and are sure to be a new holiday favourite for your family!

This year has been a struggle to find the Christmas spirit in myself, or it was until I started my holiday baking! Trying to find recipes that tasted and smelled like my childhood Christmases sparked excitement in me. This year has been busy with lots of changes, but I hope the next few days of holiday posts can spark my excitement for blogging in the same way that baking sparked my Christmas spirit! This is my first post since June, and my 2016 New Years resolution is to make my blog more of a priority in my spare time since I spend so much time cooking, and photographing my creations.

Christmas cookies have been around since the middle ages when baked goods were often used to mark a special occasion. This sweet trend quickly spread across Europe and evolved; cookie cutters were developed to make various shapes, and colours were added to make the cookies a little bit more festive. Around Christmas many people exchange cookies with one another, to show appreciation or thanks. Everyone enjoys a Christmas cookie, even Santa himself appreciates a treat with a warm glass of milk when he stops by (Although I was always told that Santa preferred perogies and cabbage rolls, and he seemed to enjoy them just as much)! The tradition of leaving cookies for Santa is rumoured to have began during the great depression as a way for parents to inspire their children to share with others during the holidays and learn that it is always better to give than to receive.

I first made these cookies a few years ago when I was figuring out what I would be able to enjoy over Christmas as a newly diagnosed celiac. Back then I combined all the ingredients in a blender to make the batter smoother. The cookies resembled a shortbread cookie and they did not have any chocolate or cinnamon which is what I think makes them so delicious. This cookie has the flavour and texture of a classic oatmeal cookie, but the style of a rolled cookie. If you do not want to fuss with rolling the dough or are short on time they can be made the same way but drop the dough onto a sheet rather than rolling it. I find the extra effort of rolling makes the cookies pretty and gives me a little bit more holiday spirit! As a child I loved the smell of oatmeal chip cookies, and the taste of these does not disappoint. They are sweet with a hint of spice and are chewy with a bit of crunch. Everything about these oatmeal chip cookies will satisfy the senses, and they are gluten free! Every year I make tons of sweet treats and one becomes my favourite for that season, so far these cookies are my number one for 2015.

Gluten Free Rolled Oatmeal Chip Cookies

                                                                   1/2 Cup Butter 

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 1/2 Cups Oats

2 Tsp Vanilla

1/4 Cup Coconut Flour

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Vanilla Chocolate Chips

-Cream together Butter, Brown Sugar, Egg, and Vanilla.

-Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.

-Place onto a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with coconut flour and form into a log, approx 2 inches wide.

-Wrap parchment paper around and cover in plastic wrap, place in the fridge and let chill for at least three hours or overnight.

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Slice cookies to be approx. 1/4 inch. They tend to be crumbly when sliced but form into circles easily and are not crumbly once cooked. They do not spread out so they can be placed close together on the cookie sheet.

-Let cook for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown, and let cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before moving to wire racks. 

- Once cooled, drizzle with chocolate toping.

Chocolate Topping

1 Tbsp Butter

1/8 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

-Melt all ingredients together over the stove.

-Let cool for a few minutes and pour into a ziplock bag. Cut a small corner off and drizzle over cookies.

Last year I posted 12 days of Christmas Baking, which had 12 different gluten free recipes for the holiday season. This year I have not had time to make that many treats, but will be sharing my creations over the next six days, so keep checking back! Cookies are the perfect treat for guests who pop by unexpectedly, they can be used to decorate a holiday table, and always pair well with coffee or tea. But who am I kidding? You don't need an excuse to enjoy a cookie, its the holidays and the perfect time to indulge!