By now my readers know that some of our favorite treats include Apple Pie, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Peanut Butter Cookies, and we have enjoyed all three during this time of sheltering at home. As I shared a photo of the Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies I baked yesterday, I decided to pass along that recipe today. While it isn’t necessary for anyone in our family to avoid gluten, we don’t miss the flour in these cookies and love the intense peanut butter flavor combined with a little chocolate.
The ingredients list is short and doesn’t require any baking soda, baking powder, or vanilla. You’ll just need an egg white, some brown sugar and some white sugar, a little salt, a cup of chunky peanut butter, and some mini semi-chocolate chips. I’m sure these treats would be fine with regular sized chocolate chips or without the chips if you don’t have them. It would be OK to use smooth peanut butter if that is what you have, but we do like the little bits of crunchy peanuts.
The recipe I use recommends using parchment paper over your baking sheet.The cookies slide off easily and the clean up is almost nil, but if you don’t have any parchment paper, I think a non-stick baking sheet would work fine without it. This recipe only makes 18-20 cookies, a number that will fit on a large baking sheet (12 x 18 inches). After the dough is scooped onto the paper, use a fork to make a crisscross pattern on each cookie. If they are not flattened this way, they’ll bake unevenly and look like little rocks. Trust me; I know.
The original recipe instructed a 375 degree oven, but I found that the bottoms of the cookies got too browned. While we found them to be very edible, by reducing the temperature to 350 degrees, I get consistently good results. Watch them pretty closely toward the end of the baking time.
Being able to bake without flour is a good thing right now for the simple reason that my canister is nearing empty and my husband reports that the baking aisle of our grocery store is depleted of many items, including flour. We are visiting the store infrequently, and during his trips there he has been able to secure needed basics, while also having to forgo a couple of items on my list, including cinnamon.
I’d say that bowl of cookies will be gone by the end of tomorrow. Here’s the recipe, also found on my PRINTABLES PAGE here: Gluten free peanut butter cookies.
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients: 1/4 tsp salt, 1 large egg white, 1 cup reduced-far or regular chunky peanut butter, 1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 egg white in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk until egg is frothy. Add 1 cup of chunky peanut butter, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips. Stir well to combine ingredients.
3. Divide dough into 20 equal portions (about 1 tablespoon each) and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Press lightly on the top of each cookie with a fork and press in opposite direction to form crisscross pattern. Cookies should be about 2 inches in diameter.
4. Bake for 10-11 minutes in the 350 degree oven until lightly browned. Remove and cool slightly before moving cookies to a cooling rack.
Makes 18-20 cookies