Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Ah that wonderful feeling of having a few hours to myself! One of the reasons I love working from home is because these precious free hours usually result in some kind of cooking or baking experiment. Though developing recipes is actually part of my work, it is also a huge creative outlet. From dreaming up the recipe, to testing it and the exciting anticipation that goes with that.
I had been wanting to make cookies for a while now, and it didn’t take long for me to decide on these chewy and (somewhat) healthy peanut butter cookies.

A few weeks ago, I bought a jar of crunchy organic peanut butter for my teen daughter, and it had remained pretty much untouched, which in this case, was just my luck. The cookies are made with whole wheat flour for a bit of extra fiber, but not to worry. They don’t taste like ‘healthy’ food at all!
I think my daughter will be quite pleased when she arrives home from school today to a few of these cookies and a glass of warm milk (it’s pouring out and she bikes to school rain or shine, as do all children here in the Netherlands!).
Hope you (and your children) will enjoy them too.

Here’s the recipe:

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes two dozen cookies

• 50g butter
• 150g crunchy peanut butter (pref. organic and sugar free)
• 60g light brown sugar
• 60g powdered sugar
• 1 small egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 240g whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsps soy milk (or normal milk)
• granulated sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 170C and line a baking sheet with baking paper. In a stand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter and two sugars. Add in the egg and vanilla extract while the machine continues to run. Stir the whole wheat flour and baking powder through this mixture and then continue to mix with the machine until you have a sand-like consistency. Add the soy milk a tbsp at a time while the machine continues to run. Once the dough comes together, it is ready. Scoop out cookies using a moist tablespoon and place them on the baking sheet with some room between them. Make a criss cross pattern with the tongs of a fork and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for approx. 15 minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack.