The Best Peanut Butter Cookies - Converted to Gluten-Free

I love peanut butter, but never made peanut butter cookies very often. After seeing a fellow blogger The Dutch Baker’s Daughter’s post of her Million Dollar Peanut Butter Cookies, I decided it was time!

These are easy to convert, but read the instructions in the original recipe when making. For the recipe, go to Million Dollar Peanut Butter Cookies

My substitutions were Pamela’s Artisan Flour blend and a pinch of xanthan gum. I made a half recipe.

Pictures of Million Dollar Peanut Butter Cookies Converted To  Gluten-Free

The finished product

I gathered all of the ingredients and mixed them.

Divided the dough into 12 portions,  with the PB center already mixed and ready to insert.

The dough portions with the PB centers, ready to shape.

Shaped and ready for oven.  Sort of over did the cinnamon in the cinnamon/sugar  mix for the topping.

From the oven

 

I wasn’t paying attention when adding the PB center as I was doing them, so I had about 1/3 left over.  Rather than redoing the cookies, I decided to make a small peanut butter brownie. I added cocoa, liquid egg, quinoa flour, milk & some PB chips

As always, I dust chocolate cake pans with cocoa

For general baking, I use Hershey’s Natural, but if I want a darker or more robust flavor it’s Ghirardelli or Hershey’s Special Dark.  At one time I used a lot of black mixed with Hershey’s Natural.  The black is very similar in taste to unsweetened cacao nibs.  The ‘brownie is ready for the oven.  Since this is a 4-inch pan, it took about 20 minutes.

Cut in half & frosted middle and top.

And it was good too! 

This cold snowy, rainy, ever changing weather is just making me think comfort food!

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© 2013 http://retiredwithnoregrets.blogspot.com/

The weather was not the best, so I mixed up another batch of cookie dough to freeze.

Today, the weather is reminding us that Winter is only a few days away.  It isn't really that cold, just too cold to wear a light jacket and not cold enough to wear the long down coat. I guess I am missing seeing a good snow by this time of year. 

So here's a little preview.
If the final lawn work is not complete, it may be a little late to get started. 

If the Holiday lights aren't up, plan on dealing with frosty noses and chilly fingers.

Well, at least I don't have to deal with this going to work during the Winter.

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I suppose I should show you what type of cookies I made and if they were any good!

Gluten Free Double Peanut Nutter Butter Cookies
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Blue Bonnet margarine
1 egg
1 cup sorghum flour
1/8 cup chickpea flour
1/8 cup sweet rice flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger, ground
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup peanut butter chips
Granulated sugar to roll cookie balls in

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg with electric mixer  until fluffy.  Combine the gluten free flour mix, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a container and shake to combine thoroughly.  Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture until just blended.  Stir in chopped peanuts and peanut butter chips.
2. Shape dough into 45 balls(about 1 inch). Roll balls (or dip one side) into granulated sugar. Place balls on parchment papered cookie sheet with a sugared side up.  This will give the cookie a cracked look.   Do not flatten or press with fork.
3. Bake cookies 10 to 11 minutes or until light brown and cookies have cracked. Cool about a minute on cookie sheet.  Lift with a lifter to another cooled sheet to finish cooling.

Makes 45  2-inch cookies
Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
Calories: 104

Calories From Fat: 51
Total Fat: 6.1g
Cholesterol: 10.1mg
Sodium: 76.8mg
Potassium: 46.8mg
Carbohydrates: 11.7g
Fiber: <1g
Sugar: 5.7g
Protein: 2.1g
This cookie is very close to 'normal' cookies - the ones with all that gluten! It is not brittle even when warm.  It is a soft cookie.
No gum was needed, because peanut butter takes on the 'glue or binder' effect.

So Much to Do; So Little Time

While listening to Public Radio today, there was a conversation about 'Underground Restaurants'.  It appears that some 'Chef's in Training' use this method to build skills.  It was also mentioned that 'a couple' sometimes arranged this type of dinner in their home.
Can you imagine being entertained in a mansion for a few hours and eating a great meal with complete strangers?  Could this phenomenon become common due to the state of the economy?   A way to make a few  dollars ??
This topic so peaked my interest, that I googled it.  Sure enough, there were hits for several cities.  One of the issues mentioned was that Cities may want to shut down these 'illegal' restaurants, so they remain secret and never held at the same location.

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Let's get to baking some cookies..

Today, I am trying  another person's recipe.  Now we all know, WE NEVER make a recipe the same way more than twice.

 Below is my version of Bab's Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies 

 Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs honey
• 6 Tbs Butter
• 1 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Egg
• 3/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup soy flour
• 
  
  1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Procedures

•   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Shake it in a bag to combine, set aside.
• Combine butter, sugars and vanilla and mix until fluffy.  I used a spatula. Add the egg and continue to mix.  Mix in the dry ingredients until blended.  

• 
  
   Fold in the chopped nuts, then  the chocolate chips.
  
  
  
  
  
  

•  Drop by teaspoons  (or shape into 42 balls) onto parchment papered cookie sheets and bake 8 - 10 minutes, until golden brown. 
• Use a lifter to move the cookies to a cooling tray
• Store the left-over cookies in a sealed container.

Yield: 42

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
 Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/42 of a recipe (0.5 ounces).

Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 67.38

Total Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 1.9g

Cholesterol 9.4mg

Sodium 73.38mg

Potassium 31.29mg

Total Carbohydrates 7.68g

Fiber 0.6g

Sugar 2.67g

Protein 1.03g

 Modifications made to the original recipe include removing 2 tbsp of butter and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Increased the vanilla extract and cinnamon to 2 tsp. Finely chopped the walnuts and measured chocolate chips to 1 cup.

Tip: Oat flour could be substituted for the soy.

When I make food for anyone else, they will eat what I can eat.  - No Wheat -

Early Thursday morning, I was scrambling to get cookies finished to take to my Niece's for Thanksgiving Dinner...
When you have to make something for Sisters, where one is picky and the other will eat anything sweet, the task can be difficult.  Since I am a picky eater, I guessed the picky one would eat what I would.
Behold, my final creation for the event.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Cookie (GF)
Gluten Free Oatmeal cookie with a minor twist- Turbinado Sugar

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups oat flour
• 3/4 cups old fashioned oatmeal
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup chopped raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Procedure

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Beat together butter, peanut butter and sugars; blend in eggs and vanilla with a hand mixer - stop when blended.
3.  Fold in the combined dry ingredients using a spatula. Stir in nuts and raisins just until evenly combined.
4.  Drop by teaspoons ( or shape into 42 balls) on parchment-papered cookie sheet; shape with the ends of a fork tine.
5.  Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Check after 6 minutes, as all ovens are not true temperature.
6.  Let sit on cookie sheet one minute after removing from oven. Move to another cool cookie sheet to finish cooling. They may be brittle while hot.
7. Store the left-over cookies in a sealed container.

Makes: 3 1/2 dozen
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

 Amount Per Serving

Calories 82.37
Total Fat 5.02g
Saturated Fat 1.84g
Cholesterol 10.85mg
Sodium 102.1mg
Potassium 50.43mg 1
Total Carbohydrates 8.58g
Fiber 0.87g
Sugar 5.18g
Protein 1.65g