Hubby's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (Soy, Nut, Fish and Egg-Free, Can Be Milk and Wheat-Free)



The day we got engaged, July 3rd, 1999.

Today is our 13th anniversary!  I can hardly believe it!  What a wild ride it has been!  We've lived in 4 different towns, been in more than a few different living, health and financial situations, had 3 kids (10 1/2, 9 and 2 1/2) and so much more!  It's not been an easy 13 years, but it's been an amazing 13 years, and I wouldn't want to be on this crazy ride with anyone else! :)

To celebrate our anniversary, I thought I'd make one of my hubby's favorite things in the whole wide world - cookie dough!  He LOVES to eat it straight from the bowl, but I hate that he is eating raw eggs, so I decided that I would search for a recipe to modify that was sans eggs that he could enjoy as is.  Enter, to my delight, a recipe I found for Cookie Dough Bites by Anne Coleman (introduced to me via The Dose Of Reality - love those girls!).  As soon as I saw it I knew I could not only tweak it to be more allergy-friendly, but I knew my hubby would LOVE it!

My modification is called Hubby's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (to honor the hubs) and is soy (if you use all soy-free ingredients), nut, fish and egg-free, and can be milk and wheat-free (see variations).  Awesome, right?  It is absolutely delicious, and totally safe to eat and even meant to be eaten in raw form because there are no eggs!  Cookie dough eaters of the world, rejoice! :)

Hubby's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

1 Cup salted, full-fat butter

3/4 Cup white sugar

3/4 Cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

2 Cups flour

(All-purpose or whole wheat, especially white whole wheat, is fine.  I recommend King Arthur brand.)

up to 1/4 Cup or 4 Tablespoons water

5 oz. (1/2 bag) Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

1. Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and salt together in a large mixing bowl.  (Note: Salt amount is totally personal preference.  You can even leave it out if you wish, but know that salt really brings out the flavors.)
       
2. Add the flour, a little at a time, and mix until well-blended.  (Note: Dough will be like sand at this point.)
       
3. Add water, a Tablespoon at a time, until the dough is proper consistency.  (Note: The dough should be like sugar cookie dough vs. soft, sticky dough.  It's almost like looking at play dough when it is right.  It will be thick and sticking together, like wet sand.  A stand mixer is best to use, but if you don't have one and your hand mixer isn't cutting it, use your hands to mix the dough.)
    
4. Mix in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. (Note: Again, this is where a stand mixer comes in handy, but an electric hand mixer should work, too.  If your mixer isn't handling the thickness of the dough, use your hands to mix in the chips.)
      
5. With a spoon or cookie scooper, measure out about a Tablespoon (more or less depending on preference, though you want them bite-sized) of dough and roll it into a little ball and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or waxed paper; repeating until all the dough is used up.
    
6. Once all the dough is rolled into balls and on the tray, place the tray in the freezer to firm up, about 30 minutes or so.  (Note: You can eat them at this point, too, but you can't store or serve them this way.  They need to be frozen to the point of very firm to store or serve without sticking together.)
      
7. After the dough is frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer safe container and store them in the freezer or fridge, pulling out the desired amount to share (or not) as needed.  (Note: If you don't like to eat them frozen or cold, you can let them stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before eating.)

Makes 50 to 60 pieces, depending on size.

Variations (Please keep your individual allergen needs in mind when making variations/using substitutions!):

• Milk-Free: Sub a dairy-free butter (like Earth Balance) for the butter or use 3/4 Cup olive, canola or corn oil for the butter.  If you use the oil, the texture will be different, but they should be equally as delicious. :)
     
• Wheat-Free: Use a gluten-free flour (like King Arthur Gluten-Free flour) for the flour.  You may need to add up to 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or ground flax seed to the mix, too, for textural purposes, too.
    
• If you would like, you can add 1 teaspoon baking soda to the recipe with the flour if you think the recipe is missing something.  I left it out of the recipe because these "cookies" will not be baked and don't need it for rising power, but feel free to add it if you believe it is needed for flavor.
    
• Other Chocolates/Add-Ins: If it fits within your allergen needs and you want to use another type of chocolate (white, milk, dark) or add butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, M&Ms, toffee bits and/or nuts, etc., please feel free, but don't add more than a Cup of extra add-ins.   You can even forgo the chocolate all together and just use butterscotch or peanut butter chips and/or nuts.  Note that mini types of chips or candy pieces work best for this, but regular size or chunks can work as well.  It's all about preference! :)
      
• Truffles: Melt the remaining chocolate chips and dip the bites in it after they are frozen, sticking them back in the freezer for another 30 minutes or so until the chocolate has hardened.  Please note that, depending how many you made or want dipped, you might need to melt more chocolate, up to another bag worth.  You can use another type of chocolate (white, milk, dark), too, if you wish.
      
• Chocolate Drizzled: If you just want a little extra chocolate, melt the remaining chocolate chips and drizzle the bites with it after they are frozen, sticking them back in the freezer for another 30 minutes or so until the chocolate is hardened.  You can use another type of chocolate (white, milk, dark), too, if you wish.

 

Chocolate Drizzled



Don't those look delish?!?!?! You know you want one...or three...or a dozen!  They'd even be great cut into small pieces and used as ice cream topping or mixed into ice cream to make a you-know-what like you-know-where makes!  Oh, yah!  The possibilities are endless!

One last thing before I go (because I know you're totally dying to run into the kitchen and make these little bits of heaven), I want to say...

Happy Anniversary, Hubby!

I love you!

January, 2013

Here's to many more wonderful years together!

~*~*~*~

What's your favorite treat for a special occasion?

How do you spoil your loved one on an anniversary?  Birthday?  Holiday?

P.S. I finally found a picture on the PC of us on our wedding day! :)  Here it is:

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)