Forget Everything but a Peanut Butter Cookie

I wanted to make a cookie that was made from the purest ingredients. Using whole foods that can be held in your hands before they become a cookie so full with flavour, and so full of love, that you can't resist just one more... But there's no guilt in all natural foods right? So why not, indulge. 

And so this is all about the cookie. The most delicious, easiest, foolproof, spectacular... well it is a cookie. I mean don't all cookies make the world crumble away, and our focus narrows to the way it melts in our mouth, the way it absorbs milk when you dunk it, and the way the cookie makes you feel, all warm and fuzzy inside? Yes, that's what a real cookie can do.

It started with a huge bag of raw peanuts I picked up at the bulk store, a place filled with everything in bulk, from gluten free flours to dried fruits and nuts, even freshly ground nut butters and honey. And the best part, was an entire aisle dedicated to gluten free products, including pizza and cake mixes. We stumbled upon this goldmine while searching stores for a new dresser, because as it seems, mum and dad have more clothes than I... Really! But after a long winded search, driving from store to store, we turned around and circled back to where we had begun, and with chocolate chai lattes in hand, this building suddenly appeared. And yes, it was like something from a movie, it just appeared, and it hadn't been there before.

I brought this big bag of peanuts out from the pantry today and began by grinding them to make peanut flour, and as many blending nut flour stories go, I overground them, and ended up with a mixture that had the consistency of crunchy peanut butter. Blending a little more, and I had a creamy peanut butter! I've seen a lot of recipes that call for peanut butter in cookies, so instead of starting again, I just added an egg, a touch of baking soda to give it rise, and when it was too sticky, and needed something for a sweeter kick, spooned in a couple tablespoons of coconut palm sugar. Blended together, it made a delicious cookie dough, so I knew it was ready for the oven! 


Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

{print me here}

{makes about 8 medium cookies}

{Ingredients:}

1 1/2 cups raw peanuts, blanched
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar

{Directions:}

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor, ground the whole peanuts until fine and they begin to fold into itself, becoming slightly sticky. It is like over processing any nut to make nut butter - so don't panic if this happens! The natural oils released from this process will also help create a moist cookie, and remove the need to add any butter or processed oils. 

Add in maple syrup and process again until smooth. My dough actually formed a large ball at this point, as pastry dough often does, but smoothed out immediately after.

Once smooth, add in one egg, baking soda, and salt. Pulse to mix. 

Since hand mixing is easier done in a large bowl, transfer your dough to one, and mix in the coconut palm sugar. Maple syrup was added originally because I love the rich flavour, so if you would prefer to use all coconut palm sugar, or cane sugar, that would work too. I believe that using all maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener, would cause these cookies to be just a bit too sticky. 

On your lined baking sheet, divide the dough into approximately 8 cookie mounds, using a large spoon to scoop.

Top each cookie with peanut halves for decoration, styling as you wish, and bake in the centre of the oven for 12 - 15 minutes. After about 6 minutes check and you'll see a massive transformation: the cookies are bigger and ...paler? I love how baking can change things so drastically!

Remove the cookies from the oven once they have begun to turn slightly golden brown, and allow these babies to completely cool before enjoying. My recommendation is sipping a hot cuppa tea with one (or two, they're that good!), and sitting in your favourite chair to relax for a while. After all, you did just bake all these cookies, it's time for a rest. 
Enjoy! xx S

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Think of Me Gluten-Free: Forget Everything but a Peanut Butter Cookie

17 September 2013

Forget Everything but a Peanut Butter Cookie

I wanted to make a cookie that was made from the purest ingredients. Using whole foods that can be held in your hands before they become a cookie so full with flavour, and so full of love, that you can't resist just one more... But there's no guilt in all natural foods right? So why not, indulge. 

And so this is all about the cookie. The most delicious, easiest, foolproof, spectacular... well it is a cookie. I mean don't all cookies make the world crumble away, and our focus narrows to the way it melts in our mouth, the way it absorbs milk when you dunk it, and the way the cookie makes you feel, all warm and fuzzy inside? Yes, that's what a real cookie can do.

It started with a huge bag of raw peanuts I picked up at the bulk store, a place filled with everything in bulk, from gluten free flours to dried fruits and nuts, even freshly ground nut butters and honey. And the best part, was an entire aisle dedicated to gluten free products, including pizza and cake mixes. We stumbled upon this goldmine while searching stores for a new dresser, because as it seems, mum and dad have more clothes than I... Really! But after a long winded search, driving from store to store, we turned around and circled back to where we had begun, and with chocolate chai lattes in hand, this building suddenly appeared. And yes, it was like something from a movie, it just appeared, and it hadn't been there before.

I brought this big bag of peanuts out from the pantry today and began by grinding them to make peanut flour, and as many blending nut flour stories go, I overground them, and ended up with a mixture that had the consistency of crunchy peanut butter. Blending a little more, and I had a creamy peanut butter! I've seen a lot of recipes that call for peanut butter in cookies, so instead of starting again, I just added an egg, a touch of baking soda to give it rise, and when it was too sticky, and needed something for a sweeter kick, spooned in a couple tablespoons of coconut palm sugar. Blended together, it made a delicious cookie dough, so I knew it was ready for the oven! 


Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies


{makes about 8 medium cookies}

{Ingredients:}

1 1/2 cups raw peanuts, blanched
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar

{Directions:}

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor, ground the whole peanuts until fine and they begin to fold into itself, becoming slightly sticky. It is like over processing any nut to make nut butter - so don't panic if this happens! The natural oils released from this process will also help create a moist cookie, and remove the need to add any butter or processed oils. 

Add in maple syrup and process again until smooth. My dough actually formed a large ball at this point, as pastry dough often does, but smoothed out immediately after.

Once smooth, add in one egg, baking soda, and salt. Pulse to mix. 

Since hand mixing is easier done in a large bowl, transfer your dough to one, and mix in the coconut palm sugar. Maple syrup was added originally because I love the rich flavour, so if you would prefer to use all coconut palm sugar, or cane sugar, that would work too. I believe that using all maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener, would cause these cookies to be just a bit too sticky. 

On your lined baking sheet, divide the dough into approximately 8 cookie mounds, using a large spoon to scoop.

Top each cookie with peanut halves for decoration, styling as you wish, and bake in the centre of the oven for 12 - 15 minutes. After about 6 minutes check and you'll see a massive transformation: the cookies are bigger and ...paler? I love how baking can change things so drastically!

Remove the cookies from the oven once they have begun to turn slightly golden brown, and allow these babies to completely cool before enjoying. My recommendation is sipping a hot cuppa tea with one (or two, they're that good!), and sitting in your favourite chair to relax for a while. After all, you did just bake all these cookies, it's time for a rest. 
Enjoy! xx S

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