Grain-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

It’s that time of year for baking cookies, exchanging cookies, and shipping cookies.  Even bloggers aren’t immune from the desire to share holiday cheer through sharing baked good with one another.  Hence, the {3rd Annual} Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!

When I signed up this year, I was about a week away from deciding that I was going to become a grain-free woman.  Grain free means NO FLOUR.  Yeah, I wish that little gem of information had hit me sooner because, lemme tell ya — gluten/grain-free baking is NOT the same as “normal” baking.

Oy ve.

Grain-free baking is SCIENCE, people.  S-C-I-E-N-C-E.

(there’s a reason why I was an English Major)

At first, I was determined to create gingerbread man cookies.  Something the Kidlets could decorate.  The ultimate in Grain Free Christmas Cookies.

After my seventh attempt (yes, SEVEN), I threw in the towel.  Baking in the grain-free world is just beyond me.

I was frustrated and disappointed at the taste of failure.

Enter, my Mother-in-Law and her “go-to cookie recipe” for those moments when you just just NEED a cookie.  “There are only three ingredients,” she said.  Three ingredients and NO FLOUR.

Three Ingredients + No Flour = NO SCIENCE FOR RACHEL!!!!!

Of course, I decided to complicate things and turn my Mother-In-Law’s simple peanut butter cookies into one of my FAVORITE Christmas Cookies: Grain-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms.

It wasn’t a stretch of mental abilities.  I just needed a few chocolate kisses and, for decorative kicks, I threw in sparkling sugar.

They’re a crinkled, crackled, grain-free guilty pleasure: full of peanut butter goodness … and then there’s the matter of that chocolate center.  Do you eat a little of it with each bite or save it for the final bite?

It’s a dilemma.  First world problems.

Grain-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

 

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These gluten-free and grain-free cookies are delicious and are perfect for sharing with family and friends. They ship well too!

Author: Rachel Lacy

Serves: 12-18 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup Peanut Butter (almond butter may also be used)
• ⅔ cup Sugar*
• 1 large Egg
• 15-20 Chocolate Kisses, unwrapped
• Colored Sparkling Sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a stand or handmixer or a food processor, combine the peanut butter, sugar, and egg till the mixture is fully blended and crumbly.
3. With your hands or a 2-inch cookie scoop, make two inch round balls out of the dough.
4. Dip the top of each ball into the colored sparkling sugar and then place on a Silpat or Parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Gently press a single (unwrapped) chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie ball.
6. Place the pan of cookies into the preheated oven and bake 8-9 minutes (the top points of the chocolate kisses will be slightly dark brown).
7. Remove and allow to cool 1-2 minutes before transferring each cookie to a wire wrack. Allow to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

Notes

*The original recipe calls for a full cup of sugar but I lowered the amount since I was adding sugar with the sparkling sugar and the chocolate kisses. When it comes to the TYPE of sugar for this recipe, you can use any of your favorite baking sugar -- white, brown, or coconut sugar.

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Of course, a cookie swap does go two ways; I received cookies as well … both of which were Chocolate Cookies drop cookies from two different bloggers.  Yup, similar cookies from similar minds!  Thanks, Marianne for the Chocolate Doodles … Mr. Boy was a fan!!