Maple Walnut Biscotti (Chickpea flour)

I have been working on my Christmas baking this last week and I am so happy I have discovered chickpea flour for cookies! Every recipe I've substituted it in so far has turned out great, including these maple walnut biscotti :D

I make biscotti every Christmas, but it's not usually gluten free. I often give it out as Christmas gifts and everyone loves it, but I'm always a bit jealous that I can't partake. Every now and then I try a new gluten free biscotti recipe, but it's always too breakable to cut properly and I'm left with mostly biscotti crumbs. Lame. 

This is the first time a gluten free biscotti recipe has actually worked for me, and I'm over the moon!! It's good enough even for gluten eaters so I don't have to make multiple batches with different flours, just multiple batches of different flavours because they seem to be disappearing a little to quickly... 

Bonus: chickpea flour is very healthy and fairly affordable. I hope you will give it a try and let me know what you think!

makes 30 pieces 

Ingredients 

1 3/4 Chickpea Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

3/4 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/4 cup Melted Coconut Oil or Butter

1 tsp Maple Extract

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)

1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped

Directions

In a mixing bowl, gently beat together eggs, sugar, extracts and coconut oil.

Add chickpea flour to the bowl. Put baking soda, salt and spices on top.

Stir the dry ingredients together a little bit (so the baking soda and salt are spread around the flour) then incorporate everything together.

Stir in Walnuts. Mixture should be fairly stiff.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions on a parchment lined baking sheet and shape into rectangles 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide and 12 inches long. Leave at least 3 inches between rectangles. 

Pat the dough smooth with slightly wet hands.

Bake at 300 for 30-35 minutes, until the middle is set.

Let cool on the pan for around 15 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board. 

Slice on an angle into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces.

Place on the baking sheet, cut side down and bake at 300 for 8 minutes.

Turn biscotti pieces over and bake an additional 8 minutes.

Let cool and store in an airtight container. 

Store at room temperature or in the freezer.

Wet ingredients

Dry ingredients on top

Mix together and fold in walnuts

Shape into 2 rectangles

Bake at 300 for 30-35 mins

Let cool 15 minutes and slice on an angle

Bake 8 mins per side

Let cool and store in an airtight container 

Chickpea Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've always found cookies and bread to be the most challenging things to make gluten free. It's mostly a texture thing; always too gritty, crumbly, dry, dense or just not anything like you remember! 

I come back to this problem every year at Christmas. I have a few go to cookies that are pretty decent, but I've never been able to make a basic chocolate chip cookie that compares in any way to the traditional version. 

But everyone wants cookies at Christmas, so I keep trying, and this year I have made a new discovery: Chickpea Flour!! I don't know why I haven't figured this out before. I've used flour blends that contain various bean flours, but I've never made anything with just straight up Chickpea Flour. It works amazing for cookies! These are hands down the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies I've ever made. They are chewy, crispy around the edges and actually hold together. Plus, chickpea flour is quite affordable for a gluten free flour. A 2 pound bag (907g) costs $3.70 at my Superstore (pictured below). I believe a few other brands sell it too, including Bobs Red Mill (450g for $3.50-$4) on Amazon.ca and Well.ca. And as an added bonus, chickpea flour is super healthy - full of fibre and protein. 

This is my third batch in the last month and I've finally managed to snap some pictures so I can share the recipe with you :) I've also made amazing biscotti with chickpea flour and will be testing it in a few more cookie recipes this month, so stay tuned for more chickpea flour cookies! 

I find it helps a lot to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before baking. The cookies don't spread out as much that way. And FYI, raw chickpea flour tastes awful, so don't freak out if you hate the raw dough. The bitter taste disappears when the flour is cooked.

makes 2 dozen small-medium cookies

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups Chickpea Flour

1/4 cup White Sugar

1/4 cup packed Brown Sugar 

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Salt

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

2/3 cup Chocolate Chips (more if you want)

Directions

Cream butter and sugar. 

Beat in egg and vanilla.

Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips and stir the top layer a bit, then mix to thoroughly combine everything.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Press down slightly.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned.

Let cool on the baking sheet. 

Store in an airtight container on the countertop or freeze for later.

 

Cream butter and sugar

Beat in egg and vanilla

Mix in remaining dry ingredient and stir in chocolate chips 

Refrigerate and roll into balls. Press down slightly 

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes