Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Not many people know this, but I absolutely loathe baking. I love cooking, but I can’t be bothered when it comes to making fresh-out-of-the-oven baked goods. I only make cookies or muffins once every couple of months, and there’s a reason it occurs so infrequently. I am terrible at it. I know; how can anyone be terrible at baking? Once, I made triple berry muffins that somehow turned out salty like pretzels. Who does that? And how? A handful of times I’ve made chocolate chip cookies, and the next day they were rock solid and inedible. My husband is so sweet and tells me everything is delicious… as he tries to bite into a day-old cookie with his molar. (Not how they should be eaten, by the way.) Despite all of this, I still attempt baking. I’m not a quitter, and when it comes to food, this motto still applies. I may be terrible at it, but practice makes perfect, right? Over the weekend, I found a super easy recipe for gluten free peanut butter cookies on Raymund’s foodie blog Ang Sarap. It called for only four ingredients, none of which were flour or baking soda which usually requires a little precision than I care for, so I thought, “How badly can I screw this up?” I decided to go for it, with my own little chocolate twist, since Rich is traveling for work and I have some free time on my hands. When the husband’s away, the wifey will bay…. ke?

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter  (You can use reduced fat PB to lighten it up.)
• 1 cup sugar (I used Splenda as a replacement)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract ( + 1 tsp extra if you used Splenda)
• Handful of chocolate chips, chopped (optional)

And the easy peasy four step method is:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add all the ingredients together and mix until well combined.
3. Place a tablespoon of the mixture for each cookies on a greased or lined cookie sheet, spaced about one inch apart.
4. Flatten dough with a fork and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until edges turn golden brown.

Source: Modified from Ang Sarap

These came out really delicious! They were a little crumbly which I think was due the use of Splenda rather than real sugar. Next time, I’ll use a 50/50 blend and add a tiny bit more vanilla extract for more flavor. Overall, they were had good flavor! I’ll definitely be making these again and adding it to my very short list of baking successes.
…………………………

NUTRITIONAL INFO* (real sugar)

Servings Per Recipe: 18 • Serving Size: 1 cookie  • Calories: 139.8

Total Fat: 7.8 g • Cholesterol: 10.3 mg • Sodium: 53.4 mg

Carbs: 14.8 g • Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g • Protein: 3.9 g

WeightWatchers® PointsPlus™: 4 per serving
*All nutritional info is estimated using SparkRecipes.com. Actuals may differ based upon product brand.

NUTRITIONAL INFO* (Splenda)

Servings Per Recipe: 18 • Serving Size: 1 cookie • Calories: 97.5

Total Fat: 7.8 g • Cholesterol: 10.3 mg • Sodium: 53.4 mg

Carbs: 5.3 g • Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g • Protein: 3.9 g

WeightWatchers® PointsPlus™: 3 per serving
*All nutritional info is estimated using SparkRecipes.com. Actuals may differ based upon product brand.