Chocolate Chip Cookies

My youngest loves Chocolate Chip cookies, and so I use this basic recipe with a few alterations. Over the last year or so, I've discovered that I love cooking by weight measurements. It is so simple to put the bowl onto the scale and just start dumping and pouring directly into it. It feels very freeing, though you can't tell by the results. It also cuts down dramatically on dishes, since you are no longer using multiple measuring cups to do the measuring for you. Cooking by weight also gives me an accurate standard to work with, when I wish to change the recipe slightly to improve this or that. With this cookie recipe, I adapted it to try to decrease the amount of spread on the cookie. So I decreased the amount of shortening and replaced the egg with the baking soda substitute. I also added a bit of graham flour to it to add another flavor dimension and a bit of healthiness to them.


I learned to cook by measurements, last year, when my family and I started working with food allergies and adapting recipes to our particular needs. Now it is second nature to pull out the scale when I'm making biscuits, cookies or anything else requiring more than a tsp or Tbsp of the necessary ingredient. I compiled a list of common baking ingredients by weight and have it taped to the inside of the cupboard near where I do my mixing. This makes it incredibly easy to adapt recipes as I go and ensures that I'll get the same results every time.


While I am the only member of my family that needs to eat gluten-free foods, I find that I still enjoy baking the 'glutened' goods for the kids. It really helps me to not cheat on my 'diet' when I know that sneaking a bit of the cookie or cake will have more drastic consequences than just to my waist line.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from The Pillsbury Cookbook
[Printable Recipe]

¾ c (165 g) packed brown sugar

½ c (100 g) sugar

½ c butter

¼ c (52 g) shortening (Spectrum)

1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1 ½ Tbsp vegetable oil

1 ½ Tbsp water

½ c (50 g) whole wheat graham flour

1 ¼ c (168 g) all purpose white flour

1 tsp baking soda

 ½ tsp salt

1 c (6 oz) chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, sugar, butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, baking powder, oil and water and beat 30 – 60 seconds longer. Mix in graham flour, white flour, baking soda and salt. Gently mix in chocolate chips.

Drop by ½ Tbsps onto parchment lined cookie sheet (dark works best). Bake in pre-heated oven for 8 – 10 minutes (9 minutes) or until light golden brown. Let cool 1-2 minutes and remove to cooling rack to finish cooling. Repeat with remaining batter.

Yield: 2 dozen + cookies