Monday, May 31, 2010

Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever


DESCRIPTION
Found this surprisingly simple peanut butter cookie recipe that uses NO FLOUR. I was amazed that it actually works.

I've altered it slightly. Halved the recipe for a smaller batch, included brown sugar and decreased the total amount of sugar just a bit.

I think this works best with an organic-type peanut butter, as opposed to one of the more homogeneous retail brands like JIF/Skippy. Something chunky to offer texture. Not a lot of added oil/sugar. (I used Brad's Organic Chunky Peanut Butter because it was the cheapest thing on the shelf: it was surprisingly/disconcertingly soupy—I poured it into a measuring cup without needing a knife/spoon—but it worked great in this recipe. Sole ingredient listed on the label: organic peanuts.)

The cookie it produces will melt in your mouth. Because of the lack of the flour, they'll crumble easier—so they may not be the best alternative for shipping long distances—but they're simply amazing and the recipe's dead easy. I think the taste of peanut butter is more intense because it's the dominant ingredient.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (good) chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix everything up.

Drop on parchment covered pan. Rounded balls, a good 2" apart. (The baking soda will make them spread.) Smash them flat, with your hand and/or a fork.

Bake 8-10 mins.

Let cool for about 5 minutes on a pan to let them set before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

This makes a small batch. You can simply double the recipe to make more.

You MUST try these.