Peanut Butter Cookies

Everyone's got their favourite Peanut Butter cookie recipe, and this is mine. I have several PBC recipes kicking around, but this is my oldest and my best. I hardly ever make cookies anymore, and I think the last time I made PBC was over 8 years ago, but I thought I'd add this recipe to my online collection so I won't have to dig around in my old cookbooks next time.

This recipe makes about 13 2" round cookies.

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pure peanut butter ('pure' as in not mixed with any kind of oil as many brands are)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup flour (I use whole wheat, sometimes half of another type of flour, just not white)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium size bowl combine peanut butter and maple syrup until smooth.

Add flour and salt, mix gently until combined.

Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, dip it in a bit of water and spoon level spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  

Using a fork, slightly flatten cookies until they are between 1/4" and 1/2" thick.

Bake 12 minutes.

Remove from oven. Allow to rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Linzertorte Cookies

These are a Christmastime regular in my kitchen and a favorite treat to add to Christmas gift baskets.

Yield: approximately thirty 2.5" diameter cookies

ingredients:

• 1 cup nuts, toasted and coarsely to finely ground (any combination of almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans is great - just use what you have on hand)
• 1 cup oats, regular or quick, ground in with the nuts (see instructions below)
• 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup light vegetable oil (I use sunflower)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• zest of 1 orange or lemon (I usually prefer orange)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
• 1/4 cup jam (I use raspberry, but really any jam will do)

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a blender, grind nuts and oatmeal together into a coarse meal.

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl, combine all wet ingredients.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to form a stiff dough.  Add a bit more flour if the dough looks too wet. You will be rolling it between sheets of wax paper, so it must not be wet or sticky. 

Place a sheet of wax paper on your work surface and place a dough ball of about 1/3 the total mass onto the sheet. Press flat, then top with a second sheet of wax paper and roll out the dough until it is about 1/4" thick.  

Stamp out the desired shape with a cookie cutter and transfer cookies to baking sheet. 

Once all the dough has been used up, make shallow indentations in the center of each cookie with your finger or thumb.  Fill indentations with a small amount of jam.

Bake until slightly golden, about 15 - 17 minutes.

Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from: Sweet and Natural by Meredith McCarty

Outrageously Awesome Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The title says it all! These are "the" perfect oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, and of course the recipe can be adapted to really contain any kind of goodies.  Substitute or add raisins, walnuts, dried apricot, you name it.  If adding to the choco chips, you'll have to reduce their amount a bit.

Yields: about 2 dozen

ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats; quick or whole
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup light oil (I use sunflower)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup of something else; raisins, chopped walnuts, dried apricots, etc.

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare several cookie sheets, I like to cover them with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk together to mix.

In a small bowl combine the water, oil and vanilla extract, stir well to combine.

Pour liquid ingredients over dry, mix well to form a stiff dough.  Add in chocolate chips and other goodies.

Drop tablespoon sized balls of the dough onto your prepared cookie sheet, about 2" apart.  Bake 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned.  

Remove from oven, but let cookies cool on pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Watch them magically disappear!

date filled cashew cookies

date filling:

• 1 cup pitted dates
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
  

optional topping:

• shredded Coconut

cookie:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar of your choice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. maple extract (optional; if not avail. use 2 teaspoon vanilla)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour (any blend will do - white, wheat, spelt, etc.)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

prepare filling:

Place dates and water in small saucepan and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes. Add maple syrup and blend the mixture in a blender. Pour into a small bowl and set aside until needed.

cookies:

Place first 6 ingredients in blender (doesn't matter if there's some date filling residue). Blend until smooth.

Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Pour blended mixture overtop and combine well.

Form small balls (roughly 1 tablespoon in size) by rolling between your hands. Place on cookie sheet. Using your fingers, make deep wells in each cookie and fill with the date filling. Top with shredded coconut if desired.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Makes: 28+ (depends on size)

Preparation time: 30 minutes


Recipe by: Trudel

ginger snaps

dry:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp. ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

wet:

• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground ginger
• 1 tsp. vanilla

topping (optional) :

• turbinado sugar (or demerrera sugar)

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir until thoroughly combined.

Using a deeply-rounded tablespoon measuring spoon (some are flat, some are circular and deep - that's the kind you want here) drop tablespoon-fulls of the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet. The cookies will flatten and spread to the sides, so leave a good amount of space between them.

Top with the turbinado sugar by sprinkling overtop and pressing in the granules very lightly.

Bake 11 min. Let cool on cookie sheet 5 min. then transfer to wire cooling rack.


Recipe by: bunnyfoot.blogspot.com

chocolate almond cookies

These are what angels eat in heaven...all...day...long

dry:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

wet:

• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Chop whole almonds, then measure off 1/3 cup, then toast for no more than 10 min.

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.

Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until combined. The batter will be thick, and it will seem as though there are too many chocolate chips for the amount of dough. (I know, you ask, how can this possibly be?)

Roll dough into little balls between your hands and flatten into thick disks on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 11 min for crisp cookies, 10 min. for slightly softer cookies.

Cool on wire rack.

Try not to eat them all in one day.


Recipe by: bunnyfoot.blogspot.com