Gluten-Free Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies are simply delicious!

I’ve never adhered to a totally gluten-free diet, however I’ve been experimenting with changing original recipes by trying to make them taste as good, or better by making them gluten-free.  That’s mainly because eating gluten-free foods makes me feel less full and less bloated.

This recipe originally called for 1 cup of all-purpose flour. *Oat flour gives baked goods more flavor than regular all purpose flour, though it may also give them a chewier and crumblier texture.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 cups oat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. allspice

2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

1-2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350F.  Cream butter until light and fluffy.  Gradually add sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and 2 tsp. water and beat until smooth.

Sift dry ingredients together.  Add to the butter mixture and mix well.  Fold in oats and raisins.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving enough space for the cookies to spread out.  Bake approx. 10-15 minutes, until golden.

Makes about 2 dozen good size cookies

*Not only is oat flour packed with antioxidants, it also has more protein and fat than most traditional flours, and up to 8g of fiber per half-cup serving. One half-cup serving of oat flour contains: 191% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of manganese. 41% of the RDI of phosphorus.

The gluten conundrum

By now you’ve heard of gluten, and you probably even know it’s the wheat protein that gives bread and other foods their shape and texture. But going gluten-free when you don’t have a diagnosed wheat allergy or celiac disease doesn’t promise weight loss or better health, according to science. That hasn’t stopped millions of people from giving the diet a try. Experts recommend consulting your primary health-care provider before making any drastic changes to your diet. Check out some reasons you should not go gluten-free.