Gluten Free Kitchen Sink Cookies

In this Instructable, I will show you how to make gluten free kitchen sink cookies. I make these cookies all the time, and I bring them to every party I attend. Everyone loves them! I decided to make a gluten free version after my boyfriend was diagnosed with celiac disease. I don't tell people they are gluten free, since there is no difference in taste or texture. This recipe is inspired by a certain cookie which was made famous by Christina Tosi at Milk Bar, a famous bakery in NYC. When people ask me what is in them, I tell them, "everything but the kitchen sink!" That is how I came up with the name :-)

Assemble your ingredients before you start. This is called mise-en-place. To see why it is important, click here. Check labels to ensure all your ingredients are gluten free. You can use another kind of GF flour blend, but Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 is the best I've used. It already contains xanthan gum, but if your flour blend does not, add 1 teaspoon to the dry ingredients.

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients

• 8 ounces Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (1 3/4 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 3 tablespoons of gluten free instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened finely shredded coconut (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of your favorite ground coffee (Do not use instant coffee)

Wet Ingredients

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (use Earth balance vegan buttery sticks if avoiding dairy)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (use organic, see why here)
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk (use almond milk if avoiding dairy)

Mix ins

• 2 1/4 cups, any combination of the following: mini chocolate chips, M&Ms, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, pretzels, chopped nuts, coarsely crushed graham crackers, oats, crushed heath bar, potato chips, or anything else. Be creative!

For this recipe, I highly recommend a stand mixer. The dough needs to mix for quite a while, and it gets hard to mix by hand after all the add ins are dumped in. You can use a hand held mixer or mix with a spoon if that is all you have. I melt my butter in a small pan on the stove because it always explodes in the microwave, and I don't like cleaning up the mess!

Equipment

• baking scale (optional)
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• glass or metal mixing bowl
• whisk
• spatula for scraping the sides of the bowl
• parchment paper or a silpat to line the baking sheet
• small pan to melt butter (or use a microwave)
• oven mitts
• large baking sheet
• cookie scoop (optional)
• cooling rack

Measure or weigh your flour, and add to the mixing bowl. Add all other dry ingredients, and wisk vigorously for about 1 minute to thoroughly combine. Set this bowl aside.

Do not use instant coffee here, otherwise, it will dissolve, and make the cookies taste weird. We want bits of coffee throughout. Trust me. If you don't like coconut, you can omit it, but it adds a nice chewiness, and it doesn't add a coconut flavor at all.

Add your melted butter and sugars to the mixing bowl, and attach the paddle. Mix, on low for about 30 seconds, and then adjust to medium. Mix for 2-3 minutes, until lighter in color. Scrape down the sides halfway through. Next, add the egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix on medium, for about 5 minutes, until mixture is very light, fluffy, and paler in color, like in the picture. Do not skimp on mixing time, it is what gives the cookies a light, chewy texture. Stella Parks, famed baker from Serious Eats, explains the importance of mixing well here.

Today for my mix ins, I used: mini chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, M&Ms, crushed graham crackers, and crushed sesame pretzel chips. Use whatever you like, even weird things like flavored chips might be good. Be sure that all ingredients are gluten free of course!

Add the dry mixture, all at once, to the mixer bowl. Add the mix ins too, and mix on low, until the dough comes together. Don't worry too much about over mixing. Use the spatula to stir the dough once more by hand, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.

At this point, the dough must rest. This can be done on the counter for 30 minutes, or in in the fridge, or freezer for up to 24 hours. This allows the flours to hydrate, and it helps develop deeper flavors. You can scoop the dough before or after it rests. I like to do it before, since it is softer and easier to manage. I use a 2 teaspoon scoop, and overfill it so each cookie dough ball is a heaping tablespoon. If you don't have a cookie scoop, you can use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon, or two regular spoons. You can freeze dough balls on a baking sheet until solid, and place balls into a zipper lock bag in the freezer. That way, you can have fresh baked cookies at any time. The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees when you are ready to bake.

Place the dough balls two inches apart on the lined baking sheet. Slide the baking sheet into the oven, and bake until cookies are no longer wet looking, and have started to just turn light golden brown around the edges. This should take 10-15 minutes. Always start the timer at 10 minutes, and add time as needed. If the dough is chilled or frozen, it may need a few additional minutes. The cookies will stay fresh for up to 2 days, if kept in an air tight container. Makes about 32 cookies.