It’s been a rough week. Three big deadlines plus work on the Quick Suppers chapter of Parents Need to Eat Too (100+ moms emailed me feedback on the recipes they tested, all within the space of 48 hours). I got everything done, though it was a squeaker. And then last night, a big fat disappointment: I’d been working on a pretty big project for Words to Eat By, the first of what was supposed to be a series of how-to cooking videos. I’d bartered with a friend of Stephen’s, a man I know and like, to shoot and edit in exchange for some writing work. Two weeks ago he came over and we spent a few hours shooting the footage—I butterflied a chicken for you!—and a few days ago he sent me a rough cut. It wasn’t bad, but it was long. Twelve minutes long. Nearly four times longer than we’d discussed. So I wrote back with a query about the length, and last night I got his response, which was basically: I give up. He walked away! I’m left confused and angry, with a whole lot of time wasted and nothing to show for it. (Though if you’ve got mad editing skillz and would like to barter for writing and/or food, drop me a line!)
So this morning I did what I always do: I buried my sorrows in cooking. Rifled through the giant stack of to-try recipes that’s always threatening to envelope my desk, and picked a simple one. See, when I’m this frustrated, complicated recipes tend to backfire. I get fully distracted, yes, but invariably I mess things up along the way. Simple is definitely better at times like this. I came up with a one-bowl (and no mixer) cookie recipe with only seven ingredients, one that satisfies sweet and salty cravings thanks to a generous helping of chopped honey-roasted peanuts. It’s flourless, which is a bonus for our gluten-free friends. And its major ingredient is peanut butter with a minor in dark chocolate, so I can almost convince myself these cookies are healthy. Not low-fat, certainly, but full of nutrition—at least as far as cookies go.
Anyway, give them a shot. They come together in minutes, and they’re extremely satisfying. Almost enough to make me forget my woes. Almost.
Flourless Honey-Roasted Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Epicurious
Makes 36 cookies
1 16-ounce jar natural peanut butter, creamy
1 1/2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60%)
1 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with Silpat liners or parchment paper, then set aside.
Combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl—I found it easiest to begin with a whisk, then switch to a wooden spoon. Add the chocolate and peanuts and stir to combine.
Use a large cookie scoop to portion out balls of dough and place them on the prepared cookie sheets. (You can also use moistened hands, taking a tablespoon at a time.) These cookies don’t spread much, so flatten the balls with your fingers a bit. Bake until the cookies are puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes, switching placement in oven halfway through. Cool on the cookie sheets for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
yum – the honey roasted part just hooked me in right there!
Those cookies look amazing! Wow!
mmmm yum.I'm not supposed to have chocolate right now. What do you think, will carob carry it?
@GFG: I don't see why not! Or you could use more honey-roasted peanuts and give up on the notion of chocolate (cruel as that sounds)…
These cookies are OUTSTANDING, and SO EASY to make (a definite plus). I made them for the first time this afternoon, and from start to finish with all the preps – less than an hour. Like any good baker, I sampled the dough. Best raw cookie dough ever. EVER. I used chocolate chunks (because that's what I had on hand), but think chips are probably the best bet. I tried two (oh my!) and delivered the rest warm to friends. They LOVED them! Kept their eyes closed while they were eating them, savoring every bite. I guess that's the best part – watching other people enjoy them! I'm keeping this recipe in my arsenal. BRAVO!
These look so delicious!!
Hi
My name is Victoria and I´m sitting here in Sweden and found your blog! You have done an amazing job loosing all that weight! I´m really impressed!
Now too my question! I saw the peanutbutter chocolate chip cookies and thought they looked so delicious that I wanted to make them at home. But I have some trouble with the recipe. We don´t have ounces or cups in Sweden so I don´t know how much that is. I found out through google that I cup is about 2,4 dl, but the ounces… Would you please help me with that? How many teaspoons or tablespoons of beanut butter do I need in the recipe?
I would be very glad if you hrlped me.
Take care!
Victoria from Sweden
vickeand@hotmail.com
Hi Vicky, thanks for writing! Each cup is 8 ounces, so a 16-ounce jar would be 2 cups. Seems to me if you doubled 2,4 dl that ought to work, but I'm not sure what 2,4 dl actually means! Just as you're unfamiliar with our measuring system, I'm unfamiliar with yours, but I googled and found this chart, which looks helpful: http://www.asknumbers.com/OuncesToLitersConversion.aspx. Good luck! Please let me know how it works out.