Cookie Baking With Spelt Flour & NO Eggs

The most search requested words I've received in the last 3 months has been for chocolate chip cookie recipe without eggs.

I briefly mentioned in that particular post there are many children with food allergies, and the reason why I shared that recipe.

Now that it's Back-To-School I'm sure parents would like to send their kids to school with snacks from home knowing that they are eating what is good for them.

One particular egg substitution I use, which you will often find when you do a search for baking substitutions for eggs, is 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil + 2 Tablespoons of water. I've been using this substitution for the last 5 years in my chocolate chip cookie, sugar cookie and a chocolate snapper cookie that I make for holiday cookie exchanges. These are the boys most favorite cookies.

Of course shortbread cookies, Mexican wedding cookies and biscotti, just to name a few, do not require eggs in the recipe and they are very easy to make. Even if kids are not crazy about these varieties the adults will enjoy them.

Now on to a little healthier chocolate chip cookie recipe made with spelt flour, and NO eggs.

I've been working on eliminating white flour and refined sugar in our family's diet and finding the right balance when baking cookies and cakes can be challenging but I finally came up with this chocolate chip cookie recipe that everyone agreed was worthy of being a back-to-school snack.

Chocolate Chip Cookie With Spelt Flour

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 2 TBLS. butter softened (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 TBLS. agave nectar
• 1 1/2 TBLS. grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
• 2 1/2 TBLS. water
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 TBLS. plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/2 TBLS. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips (60% cacao)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees & line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mat.

2. In a small bowl combine the dry ingredients (flours, baking powder & soda).
3. In a medium bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy (about 2 min.).
4. Mix the oil & water together and add to the butter mixture, also adding the vanilla, yogurt and agave nectar and mix all until well blended (about 30 seconds).
5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture gradually, beating just until blended.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Chill mixture about 45 minutes.
8. Use a tablespoon to drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 14-16 minutes, until the edges are slightly brown.
9. Cool on wire racks.

Here are a two tips for baking with spelt flour that might be helpful.

• Substitute Spelt flour for whole wheat flour, cup for cup, in most recipes.   Though I found some bakers suggest using 2 TBLS. less spelt per cup in place of 1 cup whole wheat flour.
• Spelt flour does not absorb liquids as much as AP flour, therefore it's good to let the batter sit for a while to give the flour a chance to absorb the liquids.