I’ve been really into peanut butter lately. I don’t know if it’s the nostalgic feeling of childhood or the fact that it’s just so yummy (very technical word choice!), but adding a little bit (or a lot) of peanut butter to my recipes just hits the spot.
For a long time I was peanut butter-phobic. Back in the “fat-free” days, foods like peanut butter and other nuts and nut butters had no place in meal plans I designed for my clients or myself. Fortunately I know better now and have plenty of scientific evidence to back me up. Nuts and nut butters absolutely have a place in a clean eating world. Their blend of carb, protein, healthy fats, and fiber make them a very well-balanced food. They are heart-healthy and can help you stay fuller for longer, which will help you achieve your weight management goals. Yes, the calorie count is pretty high, with 1 tbs. of nut butter clocking in at 90 calories, so make sure to measure it out and enjoy. Most of my favorite peanut butters to use come from Peanut Butter & Co. because they use no partially hydrogenated oils and their sugar content is very low.
Now that the holidays are here, it’s time to start some cookie baking. Of course I’m going to employ all my tricks to make them more nutritious and delicious than the original. One of my favorite cookies is a good, old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie, a recipe that gets rave reviews every time I make it. Bonus – you can eat the batter because there’s no raw eggs in it! And with my current PB kick that I’m on, PB cookies are for sure on the menu!
This lead me to my recipe – flourless peanut butter cookies. I was watching Unique Sweets on the Cooking Channel the other night and the episode was all about peanut butter. They featured a flourless, vegan PB cookie and I thought, “I can do that!” Of course I made a few tweaks to their recipe. Instead of granulated sugar, I used date sugar (a new find that I am experimenting with – more recipes coming). I didn’t have plain peanut butter in the house, so I used the White Chocolate Wonderful from Peanut Butter & Co. After the first batch came out I thought, let’s jazz up the second batch with chocolate (what pairs better with PB than chocolate?). I found some delicious chocolate truffles in the pantry, sliced them up and placed a piece in the center of the cookie. Another delicious result. The final batch I decided to crack a hint of sea salt over the top for a little sweet-n-salty combination. Mmmmm. Here’s the recipe. I hope you enjoy them.
And thanks to Peanut Butter & Co., one lucky U Rock Girl subscriber will win a 6-pack of delicious peanut butter flavors. Entering to win is easy:
1. Subscribe to U Rock Girl so you can receive all of our yummy recipes and informative nutrition, fitness, and wellness articles;
2. “Like” U Rock Girl on Facebook and tell us your favorite PB&Co. flavor;
3. “Like” Peanut Butter & Co. on Facebook
Promotion runs Decebmer 9-13th. Winner will be announced on Facebook.
*Disclaimer: U Rock Girl received products from Peanut Butter & Co. for this review and giveaway.
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- 1 cup all-natural peanut butter (I used White Chocolate Wonderful by Peanut Butter & Co.)
- 3/4 c organic date sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- flax egg replacer (mix 1 tbs. ground flax seed with 3 tbs. water; stir and let sit 15 minutes)
- sea salt
- Dark chocolate ( I used chocolate truffle, sliced)
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat (silicon baking mat).
- Place peanut butter, date sugar, flax, vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt into the bowl of a stand mixer (You can also use a bowl, wooden spoon, and elbow grease!) with a paddle attachment. Start the machine on low and gradually increase the speed to incorporate all of the ingredients. Stop the mixer once, scrape down and sides and mix again for 60 seconds.
- Scoop out 1 tbs. of batter for each cookie and place on the baking sheet. Flatten with the palm of your hand. Press a fork down onto the surface of each cookie to make the cross-hatch pattern.
- Optional: add a piece of dark chocolate to the center of each cookie; or just sprinkle with a little sea salt.
- Place in the oven and bake for 9 minutes. Remove and let cool on sheet pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
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