Great Recipe - Wheat Free Peanut Butter Granola Cookies

Happy Friday all.  I know I promised to continue our blog on dementia support but sometimes comfort food must take precedence.  I've been trying to minimize/eliminate wheat in my diet but I am a carbo-queen and must have cookies.  To that end, I've been working on creating a peanut butter cookie recipe that would make my heart sing.  Last night I think I hit the mark. 

First you'll need to make the granola.  Take rolled oats and add in whatever nuts, coconut, cinnamon, and seeds you would like.  Add in real maple syrup and mix until fully coated.  Put onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet with sides and bake at 350 for about a half hour, stirring every 10 minutes until the mixture is golden brown.  Take out of the oven and let cool.  Once it's cool you can add in raisins, dates, cranberries, or whatever other dried fruit you like (don't bake the fruit as it will get dry and hard).  You may not want to put the dried fruit into the cookies however.

This granola is great in the cookies, on yogurt, for cereal, on ice cream, etc.

Now for the cookies.  First the ingredients:

·      ½ cup butter

·      1 cup peanut butter

·      1 cup sugar (You may also substitute agave. I use organic sugar.)

·      2 cups almond flour (Cheapest from Trader Joe’s)

·      1.5 cups granola (oats/maple syrup/peanuts - you can also add walnuts, pecans, coconut, and whatever else prior to baking the granola. Add dried fruit after baking.)

·      2 eggs

·      1 tsp salt (optional)

·      1/2 tsp+ baking soda

·      1 tsp vanilla (optional)

·      ½ cup of chocolate chips (or more if you like)

Cream soft butter and peanut butter together (easiest if butter is already soft). Mix in eggs and sugar and then add the rest of the ingredients. Use a fork to flatten the cookie -- dip the tines of the fork in powdered sugar to keep the fork from sticking to the cookie.  Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

These are very crispy and wonderful.  Enjoy!

I'll continue the dementia series tomorrow but don't be surprised if I periodically become overcome by the need to enter comfortfoodland.  If you have a great wheat-free or paleo recipe you'd like to share please send it along.  I'll be adding a recipe page to our website that will have all of these.

Have a great start to the weekend!  Laura Barish   www.altagolden.com