Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter Cookies - gluten free, flour free

Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter Cookies

Usually, when I decide to make peanut butter cookies, I use my gluten-free recipe and, of course, I add chocolate chips.  I was thinking of using the chocolate hazelnut spread, but, when I went to WalMart, this product jumped out at me - Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams.

  

Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter Cookies

I used the Flourless Peanut Butter Cookie recipe from King Arthur Flour and used the Dark Chocolate Dreams for the peanut butter.   And, yes, I did add the mini-chocolate chips. The result?  Well, here's a bite for you!

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie

Thanks for visiting the Americus Garden Inn.  Hope you'll visit again soon.

Love,

Susan

• Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter Cookies 
• Adapted from Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
• Yield:  18 cookies
• 
  
• 1 cup Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a mixer on medium, combine the Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, brown sugar and baking soda. Add the egg and vanilla, and blend until the dough comes together.  Stir in chocolate chips.. Scoop a Tablespoon of dough per cookie, roll into a ball, then, flatten the top slightly.  Leave a little room in between cookies as they do spread a little. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes - tops will be slightly crinkled.  You do not want the edges to brown.  Allow to cool on the pan.  They will be soft, at first, so let them set up before devouring.

Coconut Flour Cookies - small batch - gluten, dairy, egg free

Coconut Flour Cookies

I was looking for a new small batch, gluten free cookie recipe and stumbled upon the 3 ingredient coconut flour cookie recipe.  The reviews were very mixed.  Some people loved them, while others hated them.  I decided to try it for myself and asked our guests, Kirsten and John, to be my taste testers.  Since they do not have to eat gluten free, I wanted their opinions as to whether these cookies would appeal to everyone.  By the way, after we taste tested, there weren't any left for Kim.

We all enjoyed the coconut flavor.  If you don't like coconut, do not try this recipe.  The texture was very nice.  If you remove them from the pan too soon, they crumble.  But, if you let them cool just long enough, they are absolutely perfect.  We all agreed that chocolate (white or dark) would be a great accompaniment.  But, that would defeat the 3 ingredient concept.

The three ingredients are:

3 Tablespoons of coconut flour

2 Tablespoons of coconut oil

1 Tablespoon of honey

Combine the ingredients thoroughly.

Scoop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 6 - 7 minutes (just golden around the edges)

Let cool for several minutes before eating.

This recipe made 10 small cookies.

So, go try it and let me know if you like it.  Thanks for visiting the Americus Garden Inn blog.  Come back and see what we're baking next.

Love,

Susan

Coconut Flour Cookies

Gluten Free Almond Crispies Cookies

Best Almond Crispies Cookies - gluten free made with rice flour 

It's a dreary rainy day.  The perfect day to try a new recipe.  I found this recipe on Bob's Red Mill website and decided to give it a try.  What made this recipe appealing, to me, is that it is gluten free and it uses no eggs and no dairy.  I love finding recipes for special diets that actually taste good to everyone.  I only made 1/4 of the recipe and using my small cookie scoop, it made 10 cookies.  Small batch baking is my favorite, especially for gluten free baking as the gluten free products are very often best consumed right away.  So, give it a try and let me know how it turns out for you.

Thanks for visiting the Americus Garden Inn blog.

Love,

Susan

Almond Crispies gluten free made with coconut flour

gluten free almond crispies made with coconut flour

Update:  1/13/14 top photo shows the new batch

I made these cookies again today.  Yesterday, I used coconut flour for part of the all purpose GF flour. You can see in the pictures above labeled "with coconut flour",  that there is a grainy texture. Today, I used rice flour.   The appearance of the cookies was a huge improvement.  I liked the flavor of both variations.  Neither came out "crispy", but, I preferred the version with just rice flour and almond meal/flour.  I am continuing to perfect my own variation and will post my small batch version on facebook, soon.  Be sure to visit us on Facebook.

Almond Crispies Contributed by: Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods A delightful gluten-free almond cookie everyone will enjoy. Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Low Cal, Low Carb. Ingredients 1 cup GF All Purpose Baking Flour 1/2 cup Almond Meal/Flour 1/4 cup Sugar 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Cinnamon 1/8 tsp Sea Salt 1 tsp Almond Extract 1 Tbsp Water 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil 1/3 cup Honey 1/2 cup chopped Almonds (Whole Shelled) Directions Step 1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray; set aside. Step 2 In a bowl combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  In another bowl combine almond extract, water, oil and honey. Step 3 Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold in chopped almonds. Form dough into balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Step 4 Bake 8-12 minutes until lightly golden. Let cookies set on baking sheet 10 minutes; remove carefully to cooling rack. Enjoy.  Makes 24 cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut - no gluten, dairy or eggs

chocolate chip cookies with coconut - gluten, dairy and egg free

I've been working on this recipe for over a week and I am finally ready to share.  Today, I made these cookies as bar cookies and sliced them into the triangles you see above.  Of course, you can scoop them into traditional round cookies, too.  This recipe uses rice flour, but, you could use regular all purpose flour if you do not need to be gluten free.  If you don't like coconut, don't try this recipe.  The warm cookies are reminiscent of a Mounds chocolate candy in cookie form.  The golden edges are crispy and the center is a little soft and chewy.  Bake them longer for extra crispy, less for extra chewy.  I know some of you might resist the corn syrup.  But, just like in pecan pie, corn syrup provides that extra special textural component that no other sweetener can do.  And, if you don't want to use the coffee, simply substitute a Tablespoon of whatever liquid you prefer, almond, soy or coconut milk would be great.

Thanks for visiting the Americus Garden Inn blog.  Hope to see you soon.
Love,
Susan

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut (no egg, no dairy and no gluten)

Yield:  12 cookies

3/4 cup rice flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon corn syrup

1 Tablespoon hot coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together rice flour, baking powder and salt.  Add coconut and chips.  Mix and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the coconut oil, brown sugar, corn syrup, coffee, and vanilla with a rubber spatula, stir until completely combined.
5. Stir dry into wet ingredients, using rubber spatula stir until combined.
6. Scoop the dough into 12 equal portions and press into shape on prepared cookie sheet.  (Or, press dough into an 8 x 8 square pan, lined with parchment)
7. Bake for 10 – 14 minutes or until golden around the edges.  Cookies will still be soft.
8. Cool on cookie sheet for five minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. They will crisp up as they cool.  (If baking in 8 x 8 pan, using parchment paper, carefully remove from pan on parchment paper after the 5 minutes cooling time and cut into desired shapes while still warm and soft)

The Easiest, Quickest, Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Well, it's that time of year. Cookie time! Everyone starts thinking about holiday baking and cookies right after Halloween. They even have Christmas displays set up everywhere and it is not even Thanksgiving yet. So, what are the choices for gluten free baking? There actually are lots of options. But, this recipe is truly one of the easiest and requires nothing that you have to buy at a specialty store. Here are the ingredients. I'll bet you have them all in your pantry and fridge right now.
Start with a cup of brown sugar.
Add a cup of peanut butter.
Add one egg.
Add 1 tsp of baking soda.
Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.
Mix with a wooden spoon
until well combined.
Add 1 cup of chocolate chips
Mix thoroughly
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie panI do use my hands to make little balls after scooping. At this point, I put the whole thing in the freezer

and once they are frozen, they go in a ziploc bag so I can grab a few to bake when I want a cookie!
Well, actually, I want more than one cookie. So, I made enough to share with Kim.

Baked at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes, they are perfect.


I am ready to settle down with a cup of Americus Garden Inn signature blend coffee in my signature mug with my gluten free peanut butter cookies. Yum! If you were here, I would be happy to share my private stash of gluten free peanut butter cookies with you, too. :)Here is the recipe for

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter (chunky may be used if preferred)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips (or morsels)

1. Stir together first five ingredients in medium bowl, using wooden spoon.
2. Stir in chocolate chips/morsels
3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet
4. Bake at 350 F for 12 minutes or until puffed and golden (Cookies will be soft in the center). If baking from frozen, bake for 14 minutes.
5. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, remove to wire rack.

HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE AS MUCH AS I DO.
Love,
Susan