Soft Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (256 g) smooth no-stir natural peanut butter
1/3 cup (75 g) virgin coconut oil (can use an equal amount, by weight, of unsalted butter or vegetable shortening)
2 cups (280 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (80 g) coconut sugar (can use an equal amount, by weight, of granulated sugar)
2 tablespoons (42 g) pure maple syrup
2 eggs (120 g, out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Melted chocolate, for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.In a medium-size, heat-safe bowl, melt the peanut butter and coconut oil, stirring occasionally, until smooth in either the microwave (30-second intervals on high power, stirring in between) or over a double boiler. Set the bowl aside to cool briefly.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and coconut sugar, and whisk to combine well. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the melted peanut butter and oil mixture, then the maple syrup, eggs and vanilla, mixing to combine after each addition. Knead the dough together with clean hands to form a cohesive dough. It will be thick and soft. Shape the dough into a cylinder about 1 1/2 inches in diameter on a large piece of plastic wrap or unbleached parchment paper. Roll tightly in the wrap, and place in the freezer until mostly firm (about 10 minutes).
Remove the chilled dough from the freezer, and slice in cross-section into 24 pieces, each about 1/4-inch thick. Place the pieces of dough on the prepared baking sheets about 1-inch apart from one another (they will spread during baking, but not a lot). Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until slightly puffed and set in the center, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet until firm, at least 5 minutes, until attempting to move the cookies or they will not hold together well. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired, and allow the chocolate to set at room temperature before serving.