My sister Tina was a beautiful, kind, sweet woman with the most infectious laughter. When something struck her as funny, she would giggle, and then laugh and it would evolve into an uproarious guffaw/snort that got everyone around her giggling, too. We lost her far too soon, but she left her mark in ways large and small. My favorite thing to do when I miss my sister is make her special peanut butter cookie recipe.
This is the easiest cookie you’ll ever make. And, for my friends with health issues and gluten intolerance, it’s a go-to party/gift staple; No flour! Here’s the basic recipe. You should definitely make it like this first, because you won’t believe it works until you try it for yourself. Ready?
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Yes, that’s really it!
Thoroughly mix ingredients in a bowl. Roll into a small-ish ball – or whatever size makes you happy. Evenly space the balls on a lined or prepared cookie sheet. Smash with a fork. And, as they say in my old cookbooks: Bake in a medium oven until done. (That means roughly 325 for roughly 8-10 minutes, but could be different depending on your oven/climate/etc.) I tend to take my cookies out at just under-done and leave them to cool on the sheet for a minute, or if I use parchment – like in the picture – I just lift the parchment off the pan and place it on the cool tile counter. Today, I also made banana bread – look for my other post for more on that.
Usually, I use crunchy peanut butter, but whatever you have on hand will work. Now comes the fun part! You can substitute almond butter and brown sugar, season with nutmeg for a wonderful fall treat. Or swap out some of the peanut butter for nuttella and add a small handful of chopped walnuts for a fudgy treat. Try pecan butter and maple syrup! Try Cashew butter and toss in some dried tropical fruit! Really, you can endlessly recreate this basic recipe – all flour-free.
I can’t wait to see what combinations you try – please share in the comments!