Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies

I altered my grandmother's super yummy chocolate chip cookie recipe a little to make it gluten free and a little fancy. The results were fantastic. Here it is.

Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies*

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown rice flour **
2 tbsp teff flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1/2 tbsp hot water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in baking soda and hot water. Add flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and xanthan gum. Mix will. Gently stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop onto greased baking sheets by heaping teaspoonfull (or refrigerate for one our and roll into small balls then place on greased baking sheets). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

*Recipe may be doubled, but use only 3 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla

** to make with regular wheat flour, use 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, subbing 2 T cocoa powder for 2 T of the a-p flour

Kale and Walnut Pesto

This pesto turned out amazingly yummy and it is packed full of healthy vitamins too. Tastes great over corkscrew pasta.

Kale and Walnut Pesto

1 bunch kale, without stems, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup parmesan
salt and pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1.5 lbs cooked pasta

Cook kale in pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water. Squeeze kale to remove water. Place kale in food processor and add walnuts, garlic and parmesan. Puree until almost smooth. Add salt and pepper. With machine running, add EVOO. Add pesto to cooked, hot pasta, mixing in enough water to achieve desired consistency. Sprinkle with additional parmesan if desired.