’tis the season for holiday baking. this cookie isn’t your traditional christmas cookie, but it is sure to put smiles on faces.
once again, i’ve been inspired by something i’ve seen out and about that was wheat-filled and not an option for me, but looked so delicious that i was bound and determined to make my own version. a new local charlottesville bakery, paradox pastry, carries these cookies. i’ve bought them before for my son and was temporarily appeased to just take a long sniff from the bag. but i couldn’t take it anymore…. peanut butter cookie, chock-full of pretzels and chocolate pieces… the time had come to make them for myself! (… and for other gluten-free family members who deserved to eat such a cookie too!)
i don’t know about the bakery’s cookies, but i wanted these to be nice and chewy so i’ve added some oat flour to achieve that. (just grind up some gluten-free oats in a blender or food processor… and voila, oat flour.) but like their gluten-version, i’ve made these enormous. i love “big as your head” cookies. you feel like you’re being so calorie-frugal when you opt for a half, or like you’re “only eating one” even though it’s probably equivalent to 3 regular-sized cookies.
so whether you package them up to generously give to friends and family, or sit down to a well-deserved one all to yourself after trimming the tree, i think i may have just started a new christmas tradition.
Peanut Butter & Friends
Servings 16 enormous cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups extra-crunchy peanut butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups 210 grams gluten-free oat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup gluten-free pretzels such as Glutino
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- extra pretzels to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350`.
- Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy; add sugars, beating well. Add peanut butter, eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add oat flour, baking powder and salt, and stir well. Stir in pretzels and chocolate chips.
- Drop dough by the 1/3 cup onto parchment line cookie sheets. Lightly press cookies with fingertips or spatula to flatten a bit. Press a few additional pretzels into tops of cookies.
- Bake at 350` for 20 minutes. The centers of the cookies may be a little soft. Cool 3 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to wire racks to cool.
