Today is my last Monday.
And if feels incredible. Ever since I gave my two-weeks notice at work, that heavy feeling that has haunted me for so many Sunday nights and Monday mornings over the past several months has been gone. No more anxieties about what crazy work politics or project stresses might come up that week. No worrying about today’s priorities and if they will get done. Really, it is incredible.
Now, that isn’t to say that I’m not feeling a new sort of anxiety. As I get closer to the launch of my new site and dare I say it, new life, things in that world seem scarier and more intimidating. Right now I’m set to launch two weeks from today and as that day gets closer new thoughts of self-doubt form every day. Maybe my cookies aren’t as good as I think. Maybe this shipping plan is completely wrong. Maybe my brownies are too fudgy to make it to California. Maybe I am just completely insanely nuts for leaving my day job and embarking on this new world. And that is only a small portion if it.
Leaving the corporate world to start my own business and work on something I am 100% passionate about is absolutely exciting, but it has its own nerve-racking elements that just come with the territory. And as much as they like to keep me up at night just a bit, I think that is a good thing. Because honestly, what better motivation is there to succeed than the fear of failure?
This Monday is the end of an old world and the beginning of a new me.
On a completely unrelated note, I made these cookies for my sister’s birthday a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to make a few gluten-free recipes that didn’t include any crazy ingredients. This recipe calls for almond meal which you can actually make yourself by grinding raw almonds in a food processor. Almond flour is finer and might even improve the consistency, but either way you should end up with a chewy cookie oozing with chocolate and how can that be bad?
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes 26 cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Whisk together almond meal, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vanilla, and and brown sugar
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until combined
Stir in chocolate chunks
Scoop cookie dough balls with a cookie dough scoop (2 tablespoons each) onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper 1-2 inches apart
Bake ~8 minutes or until cookies are firm
Allow to cool before serving
Adapted from Une Gamine dans La Cuisine who adapted the recipe from Elena’s Pantry
I love this recipe! I’m always a bit suspicious of gluten free recipes that have a ridiculously long ingredient list because I just don’t think it’s practical so these look simple and delicious.
Have a happy last Monday at work!
My you have a spectacular last Monday!!
These look yummy!!
This is SO exciting! You have to be slightly insane to quit your job and start up a business, but in a good way. The insanity will translate into passion and passion is what will make your business a huge success (that and the amazing cakes, you rock at that).
These look delicious. I often find ground almonds add a lovely moistness to cakes and cookies and if it makes them gluten free, even better :-)
these look fantastic! I can’t wait to hear more about your business as it launches :)
These cookies are flooded with chocolate!
Sending you lots of love and encouragement as you enter this new stage in your career. It’s going to go great, I just have a feeling. All your hard work and dedication will be well worth it!
1. Your stress & nervousness is totally normal. I know you’ll be fine. You’ll be successful and happy and wonderful in no time. A little worrying just shows how much you care.
2. I love that you made a GF recipe without using funky ingredients. I have a friend who’s GF, but I don’t like to go to the store just for xantham gum & whatever else weird stuff they put in their baked goods. Thanks! :)
Have a wonderful wonderful last Monday – do not worry :)
Just smile and eat this gooey cookies! Seriously :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Latest: Rich Sticky Date Pudding w/ Butterscotch Sauce
My other go-to homemade gluten-free flour is chickpea flour. Same deal as almond flour, just run dried chickpeas through a food processor. It works well in combination with almond flour.
Oh man, that looks amazing – molten chocolate is the *best* thing ever.
I’m so excited for you! You might have a new type of anxiety, but aren’t baking related anxieties better than corporate world anxieties? :)
I love that these don’t use any crazy ingredients. I’ve been trying some grain free recipes recently and hate getting all excited over something, only to see that it includes something crazy. These I can do!
I can’t believe these are gluten free, the texture looks divine! And happy last Monday, I’m so happy for you!
Changes of any kind like what you’re doing are nerve-wracking!
Just pour a glass of wine and have more cookies like these :)
These look delicious. Totally in love with these cookies! :)
SO excited for your last Monday! Take it as the end to a wonderful beginning :). These pictures of the cookies oozing out is incredible! I want to take a bite!
These look like some wonderful ooey gooey cookies. Just think now the stresses are things you can control (for the most part) and you will certainly be able to come up with solutions for whatever comes up.
I think it’s awesome that you are taking a risk and doing what you are passionate about. Even though I’m young and all, and maybe a bit naive, I believe that you should always do what you are passionate about and the rest will follow. My parents have always told me to do something I am passionate about, that way I will put my best work into it. I can’t wait to order goodies from you! Your stuff always looks so incredible and I’m sure you will do amazing. These cookies look awesome, can’t believe they’re GF. You have an incredibly lucky sister :)
MMM!!! The melty chocolate on these guys is just so tempting.
Congratulations on your last week! Funny, I still have dreams about my accounting/corporate life and it’s been 15 years. Lately it’s been about a program that I wrote and I’m looking at it and I can’t remember the formulas… I think I’ve finally truly forgotten them!! Woo Hoo!!
Congratulations again, I really can’t express how happy I am for you!
These cookies look amazing! And all the best on your new project, I know it will be successful!
You are going to rock at this new world, I totally know it!
Let’s make a deal? I’ll do all the worrying for you, so that you can just be excited. K?
:P
Is your sister gluten-intolerant?? I’ve never seen GF cookies look so good!
These looks so good they make you want to take them right off the page and eat them! Can’t wait to try these!
That ooey gooey chocolate looks too good! I love your ingredient list :) I started trying out some GF recipes and its so hard to find half the ingredients at the store, I love your recipe!
Oh my word these cookies look incredible. Love the chocolate oozing out of the cookies. I think I just drooled. :) YUM!!!
How exciting!! Good luck on your new endeavor! BTW, These cookies look great, as always! ;)
oh I need to try using almond meal.
what a great idea.
good luck on your next adventure in life. exciting for sure!
Hooray for you being in the Top 9, and hooray for no crazy ingredients!
I would love to take that leap one day. Good for you. It is always wise to follow your passion.
I am going to have to try these cookies.
Those cookies look amazing. I love the melted chocolate there!
Ooooo I am so envious of you! I am thankfully at the very start of my work-life (as in just got my AA) and after two years of knowing I won’t be passionate about what I was getting into I finally decided to go to pastry school. I can’t imagine how nerve wracking it would be to be a few long years into a job and finally throw up my hands!
But I know just from looking at your lovely bakes that you will most definitely be successful. :) Best of luck and ditto to all of those saying to sit down to a nice glass of wine (or champagne! What an occasion to celebrate!) and some cookies and look forward to the wonderful, and joyous, days ahead of you.
Best of luck!
xoxo
– Eve
Look at all that glorious melty chocolate oozing out! Yum!
These look AMAZING!!! I’m going to bake these this weekend!!
um YUM!! These look incredibly delicous and easy! Will definitely be making these!
You GO!! Be excited! Sometimes fear and excitement feel like the same thing….best to enjoy them both!
it is going to be the perfect rainy weekend to make these cookies – cannot wait!
These look so yummy! We’re having friends over this weekend and they recently went GF and I’d love to make these for dessert but I am unfamiliar with GF things. Are any other ingredients listed things that I need to make sure say gluten free or are they already gluten free ingredients (did that make sense)?
I’m not an expert but I think the only thing you need to check is the chocolate. Most chocolate is gluten-free but there is a chance that some can be made in a facility with gluten. Let me know if you make them!