Making paleo-friendly substitutions in the New York Times recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies led me down this path. Macadamia nuts replaced the ground peanuts (a legume whose properties can block good nutrients). Gluten free flour replaced whole wheat flour (for its anti-inflammatory properties). The sugar amount was cut in half. Crunchy almond butter replaced peanut butter and added the all-important crunch (provided by wheat germ in digestives but can be a possible cause of inflammation).
So how were the cookies? While not having the flavor punch of peanut butter cookies, they were 'good enough.' They reminded me of a digestive biscuit which I love but doesn't always agree with me; from their ingredient list, I can now see why. This recipe, however, produced the same dry texture of digestives, along with the satisfying crunch, and were eaten, enjoyed and happily forgotten about until the next time for tea!
My Paleo Marin Rating: 3.5 Persimmons*
Ingredients:
1 cup macadamia nuts, lightly toasted
2 1/2 cups gluten free flour, preferably Cup4Cup Multipurpose Gluten Free Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 oz. salted butter (2 sticks)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 cup crunchy almond butter, preferably Trader Joe's Crunchy Almond Butter, Salted
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons tea masala spice, available here
Directions:
Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat sheet or parchment paper.
1. Lightly toast macadamia nuts. When cool, place in food processor and pulse until the texture is like bread crumbs. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the whip attachment until creamy (or by hand). Add sugars, and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping sides as necessary.
3. Add crunchy almond butter and beat until incorporated. Add the eggs, slightly beaten, one at a time, and then the vanilla and tea masala spice. Beat just until mixed together.
4. Gently stir dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Fold in the ground macadamia nuts and distribute them throughout.
5. Drop the dough onto the baking sheet in spoonfuls a little bigger than a golf ball, about 2 inches apart. Dip a fork in cold water and press back the dough to flatten the ball to about a 1/4" thick cookie. This will use about 1/2 of the dough.
6. To bake: The original recipe says to bake the cookies at 350º F for 11-13 minutes until the edges are slightly browned. They will not look completely baked. Cool in the baking pan for 3 minutes and then cool on a rack.
One of the bakers in the "Comments" section recommended this method for extra crunchiness: Bake the cookies at 350º F for 10 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven and let cool completely. Return to the oven and cook for about 5 minutes more or until the edges turn brown.
7. Cool the cookies in the pan placed on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to the wire rack to cool completely.
8. Repeat with the remaining dough. Or, you can shape the cookies and put them on a plate to freeze. Then put the frozen uncooked cookies in a freezer bag to bake at a later date.
Cookies will keep up to 7 days in a covered container in the fridge.
#paleo #glutenfree #digestives #almonds #almondbutter #Cup4Cup #teamasala #cookies #snacks #lowsugar
Recipe adapted from the NYT link here.
*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons
I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.
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