peanut butter cravings

I’ve been craving peanut butter cookies & for some reason I just can’t seem to get them right.

The first batch, I couldn’t find peanut butter so I just ground up peanuts… of course, I didn’t buy enough peanuts either so I had to substitute what I was missing with almonds & cashews. Needless to say, there was a distinct lack of peanut buttery flavor in them.

The second batch were made with the right amount of 100% organic peanut butter…. but some where along the lines I messed up & the final cookies just crumbled away in pieces. Which is odd since the first batch had the right texture, they just had a different mix of nuts (same overall quantity, just a blend).

I can’t make a 3rd batch. I have consumed two dozen cookies & I’m starting to fear for the size of my arse. I pride myself on having a nice derrière, it’s kind of my thing. So to jeopardize it by consuming a whole ‘nother batch of cookies…. I just can’t bring myself to do that. Nor can I bring myself to bake them, eat only one, & then give the rest away. Actually, it’s not even about giving the rest away, the truth is I’d end up eating them all before I even had a chance to give them.

My alternative solution? Well, I did a whole bunch of research into the texture of cookies, compared notes, tips & tricks from other blogs on the subject of cookie texture, & made three teeny, tiny tweaks that should do the job. I can even tell you which adjustments I made: 1. eliminated the 0.5 tsp of bicarbonate of soda 2. substituted part of the muscovado sugar for white sugar (to give that crunchy exterior) 3. melted the butter so as to let is absorb into the flour better

See, not major changes. I felt confident enough that this would correct the issue…. truth is, what I’d really like from anyone who tries the recipe is to give me feedback. An honest critique to what they felt the cookie needed, lacked, or about the texture.

What I’m aiming for here is a cookie that is chewy in the middle & just a little crunchy on the outside.

Tools/Equipment/Ingredients:

Electric Scale - Etekcity - http://amzn.to/2xkKpQk

Hand Mixer - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2xkjowh

Silicone Spatula - Zyliss - http://amzn.to/2y3Srkw

Organic GF Vanilla - Simply Organic - http://amzn.to/2xXdt2e

White Flour GF - Dove's Farm - http://amzn.to/2z1b5I1​

Ingredients: (makes 24) – 145g unsalted butter, melted – 350g peanut butter (try to get an organic one that’s made from 100% peanuts) – 150g muscovado sugar – 50g white sugar – 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk – 1 tsp vanilla extract – 190g gluten-free all purpose white flour – 12g ground espresso beans – 1 tsp xanthan gum – 1 tsp salt

Directions: 1. combine the butter, peanut butter & sugars in a large bowl & beat them together until thoroughly combined & a little lighter & fluffier in appearance. 2. add to the mix the egg, egg yolk & vanilla. Once again, beat the mixture until evenly distributed throughout. 3. add in the flour, espresso, xanthan gum & salt. Fold these into the mixture until there is no more flour visible. 4. refrigerate the dough for 3 hours. 5. once chilled for the allotted time, pre-heat the oven to 170C. Roll the dough into balls that are about the size of an un-shelled walnut & then flatten them just a little with the back of a fork. Place them on a cookie sheet about 4cm apart & bake for 14-16 minutes. Remove them from the oven & allow them to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

#peanutbutter #sugar #muscovadosugar #vanilla