Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER

I have made a lot of cookies in my life. My mom says I was helping her at age 2 and doing it myself (except for the oven part) by age 6. I probably made cookies on a weekly basis in junior high and high school-- usually some version of chocolate chip. I do not need a recipe as the basic Tollhouse recipe is burned into my permanent memory. When I went off dairy it was a pretty easy transition, as Earth Balance Margerine, while not a whole food, does stand in nicely for butter. Giving up gluten, however, stumped me. No matter which combination of flours I tried they turned out too crumbly and kind of one-note. Last Fall I made dozens and dozens of cookies, inspired by a project in food science where we had to try two different variations on cookies and compare what happened. I used the left-over ingredients to make probably five or six more batches, but I never succeeded in doing what I wanted and was so sick of cookies I hadn't made any since then, until last night. The following recipe was something I literally invented as I went along, and when I tasted the first one I had to run back to the kitchen and stare at the ingredients to try and remember what I did. For the first time they came out soft and chewy and sweet. As with all great-gluten free recipes, the combination of flours is extensive and weird, but you will not get the same results if you substitute other flours. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup quinoa flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup Earth balance margarine
3/4 cup evaporated cane juice (aka Florida crystals)
3/4 cup rapadura
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon molasses
10 oz dark chocolate chips (I used the Whole Foods store brand chocolate chunks)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix flours, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl with a fork. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream margarine and sugars together. Add eggs, molasses and vanilla and continue mixing. Slowly add flour mixture, incorporating small amounts at a time until all of it is incorporated. Add chocolate chips and walnuts and mix well.

Put large spoonfuls of dough on a cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 9 minutes-- do NOT over bake-- these are best when they are slightly undercooked.

Makes 2 1/2-3 dozen cookies.