Gluten Free Cookie Base (Customizable!)

When made correctly, a gluten free cookie can have the same texture, taste, and appearance as a cookie made with wheat…the secret? A diverse blend of alternative flours.  There are many pre-made flour mixes on the market that are perfect, such Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour, King Arthur Gluten Free Flour, and Krusteaz Gluten Free Flour, to name a few.  All will work great for this recipe, or if you prefer, you can mix your own.  Just be sure to use a combination of multiple flours, such as rice, potato, and tapioca; each has their own flavor and texture profile, and a combination of several alternative flours is the best way to get a smooth batter and avoid any grainy texture. Following this guideline, even a die-hard cookie fan would be hard pressed to pin this recipe as gluten free!

Yield: 24 large cookies

*if using salted butter, reduce salt to 3/4 teaspoon

**soaked raisins have been re-hydrated by either soaking them overnight in water, or soaking in boiling water until plump.  Re-hydrating the raisins keeps the moisture within the cookie; if you didn’t soak them, they would draw whatever moisture they could from the cookie dough, and you’d get dry, crumbly cookies

1. Leave the cream cheese out on your counter for a couple of hours (even overnight) and allow to soften.  If you forget this step, or don’t have the time to wait, you can place the cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each session – don’t be tempted to pop it in for a longer stint or neglect stirring, you could end up with a hot spot that may burn, and no one sane likes burnt cheese.

You may be tempted to skip this step all together, but I strongly encourage you not to – having silky smooth cream cheese is integral to the overall texture of the cookie.  If the cream cheese isn’t properly incorporated into the batter, you’ll end up with chunks of cream cheese in your mix.  If this scenario happens to get your mouth watering, I’d recommend adding yogurt chips, or additional cold, diced cream cheese as a mix-in at a later step.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer or mixing by hand, combine the room temperature cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.  Cream (fancy lingo for mixing a fat and sweetener) until smooth; scrap down the sides of your bowl at regular intervals to ensure a smooth finish and avoid the cream cheese from clumping.
3. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, mixing until combined and scraping down the sides of your bowl at regular intervals.  Repeat the process with the melted butter.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.  In 3 batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet, scraping down the sides before each addition.  Mix only until just combined.  There is no gluten in this recipe, so over-mixing results in a crumbly dough that’s hard to work with.
5. Customize your cookies with mix-ins!  No matter the mix-in, you’ll want to do this step by hand with a spatula to avoid over-mixing. Keep in mind the more mix-ins you add, the denser the cookie will be.
6. Using an ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup, portion out your cookies and evenly space them out on sheet pans that have been lined with parchment paper – no need to use non-stick spray.  Slightly flatten each cookie.
7. Place into a 350°F oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through.  For cookies with a crunchy edge and chewy center, you want them to look under baked in the center when taken out of the oven; for a crunchy cookie, bake until center looks golden brown or tanned.
8. After baking, allow to cool either on the sheet pan or transfer to a wire cooling rack and try your hardest not to eat them all in one sitting. 
9. This cookie dough also refrigerates and freezes exceedingly well.  It needs to be portioned and pressed flat before chilling or freezing, then stored in an airtight container; they will last for a couple weeks in the fridge and a few months in the freezer. No need to thaw or bring to room temperature before baking, but they may take an extra couple minutes to bake.