These cookies are gluten free and sugar free. They are made from Andrea's Gluten Free Flour and a combination of maple syrup and maple sugar. (Maple sugar is expensive and hard to come by. Amber maple syrup or regular maple syrup work equally well.) The cookies made in this way are superior to those made with regular flour and sugar. This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies using a medium cookie scoop. The recipe is also scalable.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups of Andrea's Gluten Free Flour - After measuring the flour remove 1/3 cup 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup of chopped roasted peanuts 6 tbsp butter (1 stick of butter plus 2 tbsp) room temperature 1/3 cup amber maple syrup (can use lighter maple syrup) 2/3 cup maple sugar - Use 1 cup of amber or regular maple syrup instead 1 cup of crunchy peanut butter 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
2 mixing bowls (a medium one for the flour and a larger one or the bowl of your mixer for mixing all the ingredients) 2 measuring spoons, 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp 3 measuring cups, peanut butter, maple syrup and maple sugar, roasted peanuts 1 whisk 1 electric stationary or hand mixer 2-3 silicone spatulas 1 medium cookie scoop 1 baking sheet 1 roll of parchment paper 1 fork
INSTRUCTIONS
Set the rack in the oven to about the center. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In the medium bowl add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
Coarsely chop the roasted peanuts or pulse in a food processor break them up.
In the mixer bowl beat the butter until creamy. Add the maple sugar/syrup mixture and beat until well blended, scraping down the sides as necessary. If you are using straight maple syrup the butter and the syrup will not blend totally. When you add the peanut butter in the next step all will be well.
Beat in the peanut butter until incorporated.
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until uniform.
Fold in the chopped peanuts until just blended.
Cut the parchment paper to fit the baking sheet (I get 16 cookies to a sheet so I need 3 pieces of parchment paper).
Use the medium cookie scoop to place the dough on the parchment paper, placing the cookies about 2" apart.
Dip the fork into water then press the back into the dough, repeating to make a crisscross .
Bake the cookies until they are puffed and slightly brown around the edges, but not on top. This will take about 15 minutes. They will not look completely baked.
Slide the baked cookies on the parchment paper off the baking sheet to rest on the counter top. Slide the next batch of cookies on the second sheet of parchment paper onto the baking sheet and put in the oven. While the previous batch is still warm, remove the cookies from the parchment paper and place on a cooling rack as in the picture at the top of this page.
Leave the cookies on the cooling racks until completely cooled to room temperature.
These cookies keep well in the fridge and should last a week to ten days.