I have been neglecting on my blog for a few weeks…mostly because I have been doing a cleanse that eliminates most delicious dishes, and ALL sweets. So, now that I have successfully cleansed my body of toxins…I am ready to reward myself with a sweet and chewy treat. I decided that I would stay partially on my no wheat diet, by baking a gluten free cookie. I was hesitant, but honestly, these cookies are hands down, the BEST cookies I have ever made. My husband also loved them, and said that they were his favorite cookie so far.
I tweaked the original recipe by adding popcorn kernels. I used Orville’s natural popcorn which were lightly salted with no butter. The salty/sweet combination is always one of my favorites, and this addition did not disappoint. Other than the perfection of flavor and texture, the best thing about this recipe is that it requires minimal ingredients..and are quick and easy to make. They were so fast, that I actually ended up making a second batch since the recipe only makes 14-16 cookies. Trust me…you will need more than 16 cookies!
- 1 cup of creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I used crunchy). Do not use natural peanut butter, it does not provide the right consistency and the cookies will flattened out. Choose a brand like Skippy/Jif for the best result
- 1 cup of brown sugar (I used dark brown), but light brown sugar would work well also
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 ounces (half the bag) bittersweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven at 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
- In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the peanut butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and the sugar is fully incorporated without granulation (about 3 mins)
- Add the baking soda and beat until incorporated
- Add the chocolate chips and beat until just incorporated- don’t over mix or the chips will begin to break
- OPTIONAL: the original recipe recommended refrigerating for 2 hours in an airtight container, but I did not do this.
- Using a cookie dough scope, roll the batter into 1-1.5″ balls. Gently press the dough down in the center to flatten slightly.
- I added popped kernels to the batter, and they were a fantastic addition. If you have popcorn, simply pop the kernels in the microwave as directed, and then break apart the kernels into small pieces in press it into the batter of each cookie prior to baking. (I used about 1 kernel per cookie). But…add as much as you like.
- Bake for 7-8 mins. Remove from the oven when the edges appear to be done, even if the center is still a little gooey. Upon cooling, they will harden just enough to make them perfect. Make sure not to over cook them, because they will become too hard, and you will not be satisfied with the outcome.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes..and ENJOY!
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