Peanut Butter Blossoms (Chickpea flour)

This is a new cookie to me but I think it's been around for quite awhile. As I searched through various peanut butter blossom recipes I read stories about this cookie being a Christmas tradition for many people. After making them I understand why! They are delicious!! Peanut butter and chocolate... how can you go wrong? 

They work great with chickpea flour; dense and chewy in the centre and a little cracked and crunchy on the edges. The sugar gives the cookie interesting texture and the kiss on top adds extra indulgence to your basic peanut butter cookie. I think these would also be great if you switched out the kiss for a rosebud chocolate or a wafer melting chocolate. Basically anything that you can use to press down the cookie and that will stick to it once cool. 

Makes around 3 dozen

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Butter or Margarine, softened

1/2 cup White Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup Smooth Peanut Butter (not natural)

1 Egg

2 Tbsp Milk

1 tsp Vanilla

1 3/4 cups Chickpea Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 cup White Sugar for rolling 

1 200g bag Kisses (rosebuds or other chocolate would work too)

Directions

In a bowl, cream sugars and butter (by hand or with electric mixer).

Thoroughly mix in peanut butter, egg and vanilla.

Add chickpea flour, then salt and baking soda on top. 

Mix dry ingredients a bit then stir everything together until the dough is smooth.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour (I did 24) - this keeps the cookies from spreading out too much. 

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar.

Bake on a parchment lined pan for 8-9 minutes at 375 

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a kiss firmly into the middle of the cookie (they will likely crack a bit around the edges - totally fine)

Let cool on a wire rack or cold baking sheet. 

Once the cookies are cool you can put them in the fridge to resolidify the chocolate.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze. 

Cream together butter and sugars and mix in peanut butter, eggs and vanilla

Add dry ingredients and mix a bit.

Mix to form a dough and refrigerate for at least an hour

Form into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar

Place on parchment lined baking sheet

Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes

Immediately press a kiss into the middle of each cookie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (flourless)

This is a decadent take on the classic flourless peanut butter cookies. The addition of cocoa powder really takes them to the next level! If you want to go over the top (in the spirit of Christmas, of course) you can add in chocolate or butterscotch chips. 

If you're looking for a gluten free cookie recipe that doesn't use any special ingredients this is a great one. Just make sure you use a new jar of peanut butter with no toast crumbs!

The fork press design is an easy way to let people know these cookies contain peanuts. It's nice to be conscious of all allergies, not just gluten ;) 

Happy gluten free Christmas baking everyone!

Makes 24 small cookies

Ingredients

1 cup Peanut Butter (natural peanut butter doesn't work. You need to use the basic, shelf stable kind)

1 Egg

1 cup packed Brown Sugar 

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Baking Soda

6 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

You can add in 1/2 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips if you want to make the cookies even more decadent.

Directions

Beat together the peanut butter, egg, vanilla and brown sugar until smooth.

Sift in cocoa powder and baking soda and mix until smooth.

Roll into 1-1 1/2 inch balls and press down with a fork to make the pattern shown in photos. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. 

Let cool before removing from pan.

Beat together peanut butter, egg, vanilla and brown sugar.

Sift in Cocoa powder and baking soda.

Roll into balls.

Press down with a fork.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites

I've recently discovered the joys of energy bites. I love these little things because they're super quick to make, and easy to eat! You can add in all different kinds of flavours. Use almond or cashew butter instead of peanut butter, replace chocolate chips with white chocolate, add in shredded coconut, different flavour extracts, etc.

This version highlights some of the gourmet ingredients I recieved from Qualifirst to review: cocoa nibs, dried cherries and cocoa powder (see my Qualifirst review). I used a combination of cocoa nibs and mini chocolate chips because I wanted some of the sweetness from the chocolate to balance out the rich, yet bitter, unsweetened cocoa nibs. If you don't have cocoa nibs you can use extra chocolate chips or omit them all together. 

My husband and son ate most of these before I could so I will have to make another batch soon! Maybe in a new flavour...

Makes 12 bites

Ingredients

1 cup Pitted Dates

1/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter (regular works too)

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder 

1 Tbsp Cocoa Nibs

1 Tbsp Mini Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup GF Quick Oats

2 Tbsp Dried Cherries 

Directions

If your dates are hard and dried out, you may need to soak them in water for 15 mins to soften them up.
Blend dates in a food processor until they form a dough like ball  (I use my mini kitchen aid processor)

Add peanut butter and vanilla and blend until well combined.

Add cocoa powder and blend until you have a dough like mixture. Add water by the 1/2 tsp if you need more moisture.

Dump your mixture into a bowl with cocoa nibs, chocolate chips, cherries and oats. 

Stir until well combined.

Form the balls.

Store in fridge or freezer.

Date paste, peanut butter and vanilla

Add cocoa powder and water if needed

Finished "dough"

Mix with oats and add ins

Mix

Form into balls and refrigerate or freeze

As my 2 year old says: "mmm dee-wish-iss!"