Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Perfect Grain-free Peanut Butter Cookie

You know when you're smacked with the need for cookies and milk? You know what I mean... that warm cookie that soaks up all the ice cold milk, does the waltz in your mouth and dances all the way down to your stomach?

Watching a movie one night I was hit with this craving, so I whipped up a batch of the ever so addictive and delicious crack cookies. I excitedly sat down to enjoy my santa snack only to be smacked in the face with disappointment.

Almond flour doesn't absorb milk. It kind of does what we should do when people say negative things to us: it rolls off its back. I was utterly bummed when I took a bite and realized that this heavenly cookie tasted like nothing more than wet almonds-not at all what I had in mind.

This put me on a mission, a mission to google my heart out until I found a grain free peanut butter cookie. I tried recipe after recipe-nothing fit the bill. Either they were so dense that you had to drink an entire glass of milk just to keep from choking, or they were so light and airy that they disappeared before you got a chance to actually chew.

Only one option was left: come up with my own recipe. This was a bit daunting because I'd never actually come up with anything from scratch before. I mean sure, I'd tweaked other recipes, made changes here and there, but never made my very own.

Many failed batches and tossed cookies later, I give you (in my opinion ;), The Perfect Grain-free Peanut Butter Cookie:

**Edit: The trick to keeping them soft and chewy is to pull them out of the oven BEFORE you think they're done. They should be firm around the edges, but still look a bit undercooked in the middle. Even the ones in my picture are a little on the over-done side. Once these bad boys cool, watch out-they are off the charts** 

Ingredients:
1/2 C + 2 Tbls almond flour (does not need to be blanched. I just put almonds in my blender and   
blend until it's nice and fine)
1 1/2 Tbls coconut flour
1/4 C real shredded coconut (the only ingredient should be coconut) 
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted peanut butter, double this amount)
2 Tbls coconut oil
1/3 C honey (if you pour the coconut oil into this measuring cup first and then empty into the bowl, 
the honey will not stick and will plop out nicely :)
3 drops of Sweet Leaf Stevia (this is optional. They still taste good without it, but 3 drops [and 3 drops only] add that last bit of cookie sweetness. As far as brands-this is the only stevia brand I can vouch for as far as there being no hissy after taste-but like I said, only use 3 drops!) Also, this seems expensive, but it's chemical and alcohol free and lasts forever.
1 egg room temperature or run it under warm water just before adding 
2 tsp vanilla (if you're strict on GAPS, make sure that this is grain-free)
1/2 C real peanut butter (the only ingredient(s) should be peanuts and salt-if you get salted)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350.
In a large bowl, combine all wet ingredients (if the egg is not room temperature run it under warm water before cracking-the reason for this is cold egg + coconut oil = clumpy mess). Using a hand mixer, blend all of the wet ingredients until smooth.
In a small bowl, mix all dry ingredients and then combine with wet, stirring with a spoon until incorporated. 

Let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes (this is optional, but I find that it makes the batter less sticky).

Like I said, the batter is sticky. Dampen your hands and take about a tablespoon of batter and lightly roll into a ball. Place them about two inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet (don't worry about flattening them). Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to your stomach to a plate or wire rack.

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do! If you try my recipe and like it so much that you share it, being that it is my original recipe, please include a link to my blog. Thanks!