I named these Simple Rice Flour Cookies, but at our house they go by Ice Cream Cookies because I make them with the egg whites leftover from homemade ice cream. Not only are they a good way to use up egg whites, they're gluten-free and extremely versatile. You can make them with chocolate and nuts, go with a white chip and dried fruit theme or try lemon poppy seed.
Texture and Flavor
Overall they remind me of Italian style cookies in that they're not too buttery or sweet and have a light crumb. The texture varies a bit based on what kind of oil you use. I particularly like using extra-virgin olive oil and combining it with a citrus flavor like orange or lemon. Here's a photo of the lemon ones, which almost seem like completely different cookies than the ones with chocolate and nuts.
Brown Rice Flour
Both white or brown rice flour work, but I use brown rice flour. It has a little more flavor (often described as nutty) and nutritional value. It varies in density and absorbance power from brand to brand. One thing to know is I have not yet tested with Bob's Red Mill brand. I always buy the lightest, finest I can find for bread making.
Olive Oil and Other Oils
One thing I found while making these cookies was that the texture changed a bit when I swapped different oils. With olive oil, the cookies are a little bit crisper than with vegetable oil. Grapeseed oil made them a little chewy, and I think for my next batch I'll have to see how coconut oil works.
Flavor Variations
For richer cookies, just pack them with different fruits and nuts. I usually divide the dough into four parts and make the following flavors:
- Bittersweet Chocolate Chip & Pecan
- Cranberry, White Chip, Orange
- Milk Chocolate & Brazil Nut
- Butterscotch Walnut
- Lemon Poppy Seed -- Use white sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon extract and 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds. Make a quick glaze by mixing a little powdered sugar and lemon juice.
Recipe
Simple Rice Flour Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup superfine brown rice flour (125 grams)
- ½ cup cornstarch (see note about tapioca starch) (60 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large egg whites (60 grams)
- ¾ cup light brown or granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup olive oil or another oil
- ¾ cup your choice flavor of chocolate or white chips
- ⅔ to 1 cup nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix together the rice flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites, sugar and vanilla. For slightly shinier cookies, beat with the whisk attachment of a stand mixer.
- Add the rice flour mixture. Stir until it's about halfway mixed, then drizzle in the olive oil and stir with a heavy duty scraper to make a soft and dough.
- Add the nuts and chips using as many as you want. Amounts are just a suggestion.
- At this point you can bake the cookies right away or cover the bowl and chill the dough until ready to bake. Chilling the dough slightly improves the shape of the cookies and smooths the texture.
- Scoop by tablespoons or with a small (tablespoon size) cookie scoop onto cookie sheets spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time for about 12 to 14 minutes or until the cookies develop cracks on the top and are nicely browned. If you want very crunchy cookies, turn off the oven and leave the cookies in the closed oven for about 5 minutes.
- Let cool on the baking sheet briefly and then transfer to a wire rack to cool and crisp.
Notes
- I have successfully substituted ⅓ cup (40 grams) of tapioca starch.
- For the lemon poppy seed version, use white sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon extract and 2 teaspoons poppy seeds. Reduce vanilla to just a splash.
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