Peanut Butter Cookies 2 ways: Spelt flour or Gluten-free
Peanut butter cookies, are a super simple cookie to whip up and a great cookie if you love peanut butter with a hint of chocolate. Here's the same recipe but two ways. One uses spelt flour and the second option uses gluten-free brown rice flour. This peanut cookie recipe is versatile and would also work with smooth peanut butter and regular white flour.
There are a few baking tips below to bake the perfect cookie. As well I have included in my video how to make the same cookie recipe gluten-free using brown rice flour.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – 120g (1/2 cup)
- White sugar – 50g (1/4 cup)
- Brown sugar light or dark – 90g (1/2 cup)
- Egg – 1
- Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
- Crunchy Peanut Butter (or smooth) – 90g (1/2 cup)
- Spelt flour ( Rice Flour or regular) – 150g (1 + 1/4 cup)
- Cocoa Powder – 15g (2 tbsp)
- Bicarbonate of soda – 1/4 tsp
- Salt (optional) – 1/4 tsp
Method
- PREHEAT oven 160˚C fan.
- BEAT sugar and room temperature butter until fluffy and light for at least 8-10 minutes starting on low with your paddle attachment and then increasing to medium
- MIX egg and vanilla in a glass or small bowl then add to the butter mixture
- ADD sifted flour, cocoa, bi-carb soda, and salt and mix through until just combined
- MIX in the peanut butter by hand with a large spoon
- CHILL the dough in the fridge for 30-45mins
- SCOOP into balls, flatten, cross a pattern with a knife and bake for 10-15 mins until golden
- DRIZZLE melted chocolate when cooled if you want to have a little extra pizazz
- STORE in a sealed container for 3-5 days.
Sue Maree P Baking Tips for Perfect Cookies
- WHIP – where the recipe asks to beat butter and sugar together. Ideally, this should be whipped together for about 10 minutes until it goes pale in colour and creamy. A must for soft cookies.
- FOLD in flour at the end instead of beating in and do not over mix
- CHILL the cookie dough before baking it enhances the flavours, stops the cookies from spreading and makes the dough easier to handle. Some recipes will state to chill the dough then form, or form then chill on the tray. I have tested both ways. I don't always have space in my refrigerator, therefore chilling in the bowl works best for me.
- BAKING – always line your cookie trays with either baking paper or a silicone mat and never place your cookie dough on a hot tray.
- TRAYS – I always bake one tray at a time on the middle shelf. It does take a little longer but this ensures the best possible results as the oven is able to concentrate on baking that one tray in the hottest part of the oven. If you need to bake multiple trays to save time, you may need to rotate and swap shelves halfway through.
- SCALES If you want the same results always weigh to the gram, this is a more accurate approach to baking.
- MIXING - don’t over-mix the dough gently blend it in
- OVEN always preheat your oven. If you are unsure how accurate your oven temperature is buy an oven thermometer, they are not too expensive.
- BUTTER and eggs – ensure they are both room temperature. I usually take them out of the refrigerator at least3 0mins before I want to use
- TIME - never overbake the cookie rock hard cookies are not pleasant to munch into.