Really Good Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

...and the battle is on. You know who you are. ;-)

I have high standards for the cookies I make. The bar has been set MOM and her Almost-Good-For-You-Banana-Oatmeal-Chocolate-Chip-Raisin-Walnut Cookies (of which these are an alteration of).

So therefore if I'm going to go out on a limb and go so far as to make the title of this read "Really Good" then I'm not bluffing. I'm not a fan of GF breads that make cardboard look appealing. Neither am I fond of GF cookies that rival such taste. With these the kicker is the super ripe bananas. They lend a load of moisture to the cookie. Also, in my attempt to eliminate flours/grains from my diet, you'll notice the almond meal/flour utilized as the primary body/binder of the cookie (well, that and the oatmeal). It's mostly fat and worked very well. The buckwheat is added for a little bit of a flavor kick (adds a nice nutty flavor) as well as being a finely ground flour helps in the cookie holding together. Just like my Mom's cookies these are fabulous right out of the freezer or even left to warm up a bit for a few minutes to return to a nice chewy texture. Being cold the dark chocolate explodes in your mouth with each bite.

ENJOY!

1c butter
1/2 c sugar + a bunch of splenda packets
-mix

Add in....

2 eggs
3 super over ripe bananas
-mix

In separate bowl combine...
1c almond meal
1c almond flour
1/2 c buckwheat flour
3c oatmeal
1T cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1t ginger
1/2 t cloves
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder

-add this all to the butter mixture once that is combined with eggs/bananas

Lastly, beat these in with the flour mixture...
3c dark chocolate chips
3c chopped walnuts

My oven is finicky and I live at 5400 feet so adjust this accordingly.

Bake at 375-390 for 8-12 minutes depending upon size of cookie and preference for degree of done-ness.

I used a stand mixer (yes, I admit it, I have a kitchen aid, and despite my current selling off of my possessions... that is one item that will be staying with me!) for this as the extra wattage (and who doesn't love extra wattage) comes in handy as the batter can be quite thick.

When i baked them (and i like to under bake everything) I had to let them cool for a bit on the cookie sheet (yes, I own these as well) then stuck them in the freezer (whilst still on sheet) so to keep them in a single piece as they were a bit brittle (even while underbaked) right out of the oven. After chilling in the freezer and subsequent storage there they loose the brittleness and retain a well bonded form.