April Fools! Most April Fool’s jokes are just plain sneaky and mischievous. Basically fun for the culprit but not so much for the receiver. I mean unless you enjoy peeing on a plastic wrap covered toilet seat, trying to avoid having a heart attack when your children tell you they crashed your car, or eating some version of “you thought it was something else by the looks of it” type of food…I’d say that statement is pretty accurate. In fact, I’m purposely trying to keep Braelyn sheltered from the April Fool’s antics until I am mentally prepared enough to take the teasing. We get quite enough of it around here as it is, except it tends to be more around the lines of “lying” rather than “fooling”. Haha! That’s a four year old I guess.
On that note, I thought it was about time for a April Fool’s trick you could appreciate. One that will leave you thanking me rather than cursing me. Here’s an April Fool’s joke that with not only leave you satisfied, but also every single person you get your tricky little hands on. So here is a recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies. What’s the joke???
April Fool’s! They’re gluten free! Seriously, my goal in this gluten free endeavor is to create a variety of gluten free goodies, meal and breads that truly cannot be set apart in taste and texture from their gluteny counterparts. And I am happy to say that these Peanut Butter Cookies do just that.
We invited some friends over for dinner a few nights ago. I was so excited to share these treasures with someone other than my usual pint sized taste testers. When it was time for dessert, I prefaced them with the fact that I needed some honest to goodness opinions on this new recipe. I proceeded to serve the cookies that just so happened to be divided into two containers just because I didn’t have a single container big enough to fit the mounds of cookies. The husband of the family we had invited immediately took a cookie from one of the containers, ate it and told me how delicious and amazing they were. He then brushed the crumbs off his hands and reached for the other container stating, “Okay, now I’m ready for the gluten free version!” I just started laughing, telling him all the cookies were the same and he just ate it. He really couldn’t tell a difference!
These cookies are soft and tender with a smooth peanut buttery flavor. Not to mention, they are gorgeous! Some gluten free cookies don’t hold shape as well when you are baking them. These finish baking in perfectly round and slightly crinkly circles. They are dusted with sugar which makes them even prettier and adds a tad of crunch to each bite. I make these cookies using smooth peanut butter since it’s really my kids I am making these for and my almost two year old still only has six teeth. Chopped peanuts aren’t exactly the best or safest ingredient for that scenario. However, if it was up to me, I would definitely use crunchy peanut butter for added texture.
So now you may actually enjoy this April Fool’s and set a tradition for “sweet surprises” rather than “treacherous trickery”. You’ll quickly become the most favorite trickster around!
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
7 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky (not natural)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup almond flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown rice flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon potato starch
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar for rolling
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Beat until combined, scraping sides down, for about two minutes. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
2. In a separate smaller bowl, combine coconut flour, almond flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk together until ingredients are evenly spread throughout the bowl.
3. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until completely incorporated. Chill dough in fridge for at least 30 minutes or until easily handled. Do not add more flour to mixture! If it is slightly sticky, just chill longer.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1″ balls and roll them in 1/4 cup sugar. Arrange them 1″ apart on cookie sheets.
5. Using a fork, slightly press cookies down only about 1/4″, just enough to show indentions from fork. I had a little help on this step!
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until barely browning and set. Do not over bake.
Makes about 34 cookies
- 7 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- ½ cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky (not natural)*
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon brown rice flour
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon potato starch
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup sugar for rolling
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Beat until combined, scraping sides down, for about two minutes. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
- In a separate smaller bowl, combine coconut flour, almond flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk together until ingredients are evenly spread throughout the bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until completely incorporated. Chill dough in fridge for at least 30 minutes or until easily handled. Do not add more flour to mixture! If it is slightly sticky, just chill longer.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1" balls and roll them in ¼ cup sugar. Arrange them 2" apart on cookie sheets.
- Using a fork, slightly press cookies down only about ¼", just enough to show indentions from fork. I had a little help on this step!
- Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until barely browning and set. Do not over bake.
