Kelle’s Cookies

It all started with a bright-eyed, nine-year old girl and a promise from a teacher. Fourteen years later, it became Gluten Free goodies for a beautiful young lady. These are Kelle’s Cookies!

In 1999, Kelle was in Third Grade and wanted me to be her Fifth Grade Teacher. I suppose it should have been a sign that at 9 years old, she knew what she wanted and was determined to get it! With a grin, I solemnly promised to be her 5th grade teacher, never imagining the unusual path those simple words would take. Over the next few years Kelle would occasionally remind me of my promise when we would pass in the hallway or see each other on the playground.

As it happened, I did become her 5th grade teacher. Her Mom also worked at the school, so Kelle helped me set up my classroom (and got to pick out her desk!) I’m not sure what she remembers from that year, but I remember she loved to write and sing. She loved learning Sign Language, being with her friends and she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up

Fast forward 12 years. Kelle and I have kept in touch. She is in college, studying to be a teacher and is majoring in Deaf Studies. I am so proud of the beautiful young woman she has become! As fate would have it, we are now working in the same pre-school! Can I tell you how bizarre it is to have a former elementary school student teaching with you? Yes, it makes me feel old!

Kelle still loves to write, and even has her own blog, Yellow Paper Dress where she documents her life through her gorgeous photography and her own unique voice.

Kelle also has endometriosis. She’s eating Gluten-Free to help with the symptoms and hopefully relieve some of the pain she lives with on a daily basis.

At Camp Blogaway this year, the wonderful Sponsors at Bob’s Red Mill gave us a package of Gluten Free Muesli. On the side of the package is a lovely recipe for GF Muesli Cookies! As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make them for Kelle. I bought some Gluten Free flour and got straight to work!

I know how much Kelle loves chocolate, so I added chocolate chips to the original recipe and I ended up doubling the spices to really give it a nice punch of flavor. The cookies came out with an almost biscotti-like texture! They were delicious and delightfully crunchy.

And since, there was chocolate inside the cookies, there had to be chocolate outside the cookies too! This extra step made them taste even more like biscotti. These cookies would be perfect with a nice cup of tea and a good book!

The recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies and I gave the majority of them to Kelle on “National Donut Day” at school this year. Since she couldn’t have donuts with us, she deserved to have something sweet to eat with the rest of the staff! I made half of them without chocolate so Kelle could freeze some for later.

Here she is, that determined little third grader, all grown up and eating cookies from her (former) teacher! Isn’t she beautiful?

Kelle’s Cookies

Yield: 32 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp sea salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

3/4 tsp Xanthan Gum

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Ginger

1/2 tsp Allspice

2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Muesli

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

Cream butter, sugar and salt until just combined.

Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix to combine.

Sift together flour, xantham gum, baking powder and spices.

Add to the butter mixture and mix slightly.

Add muesli and continue to mix until thoroughly combined.

Scoop cookies onto prepared baking sheets (about 2 Tbs per cookie)

Bake for 15 – 17 minutes until the edges are slightly brown.

Let cool slightly on baking sheets , then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.