Peanut Butter Cookies

I have made this recipe for peanut butter cookies countless times since finding it at this site http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/peanut-butter-cookies-recipe.html The cookies taste great, the family loves them and yes they are vegan. When I made them the other day I did not tell my oldest I was making them but when he/she smelled them, got so excited.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour (I used spelt which bakes a little darker)

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 cup organic, chunky natural peanut butter

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the peanut butter I like to use the kind you grind yourself at the grocery store.

For the maple syrup I used 100% pure maple syrup which really adds to the flavor, I do not know if it would work to try regular pancake, processed, syrup that has no maple in it, I do not suggest it. Also if you are not vegan you could substitute honey or use half honey, half maple syrup but I think using all maple syrup works the best.


Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place racks in the top third of oven.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. in a separate larger bowl combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined.




Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and stir until barely combined - still a bit dusty looking.

Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir, just a stroke or two.
Now drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each one gently with the back of a fork. It's a loose batter, so if you're set on doing criss-crosses, go ahead and chill the batter for an hour or so before this step.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes - but don't over bake or they will be dry. Let cool five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
Make 2 - 3 dozen cookies.