Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies

For the third month in Home Baker's challenge, Viji of Virunthu Unna Vaanga set the challenge for cookies. She provided us with 4 recipes and we are free to choose any recipe we want. I selected the peanut butter cookies as I have never tried it before. The original recipe asked for crunchy peanut butter but I had only the creamier variety. So I roasted a handful of peanuts, crushed them and added it to the dough. These cookies are the soft cookies type. Once they come out of oven they are extremely soft but after a few minutes they will firm up. And the cookies will look like they are so crisp and only when you take a bite you will know about the softness. That is quite a surprise for those who are tasting these cookies. And the crushed peanuts added a nice crunch to the otherwise soft cookies. Both hubby and Sruti are peanut lovers and so they loved these cookies also.



Recipe Source: Martha Stewart
Makes 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
Butter-1/4 cup
All Purpose Flour/ Maida-3/4 cup
Creamy Peanut Butter-3/4 cup
Peanuts-1/4 cup
Light Brown Sugar-1/2 cup
Baking Powder-1/2 tsp
Milk-1/8 cup

Procedure:
1. Spread the peanuts on a baking tray and bake in a 180C oven for 3-4 minutes.
2. When the skin is cracked and they are brown, remove from oven and transfer to a plate.
3. When cool, rub it to loosen the skin. Blow away the skin.
4. Crush the peanuts in a mortar with a pestle.
5. In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder and crushed peanuts.
6. In another bowl cream together butter, peanut butter and brown sugar.
7. When creamy, add milk and beat.
8. Add the flour mixture and beat to combine.
9. Cover the dough with a cling wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. The dough will become firmer and it will be very easy to shape the cookies.
10. Line a tray. Preheat oven to 175C.
11. Pinch out small lemon sized balls out of the dough, roll it and place it on the tray. Arrange the balls leaving atleast 1" gap giving the cookies place to spread.
12. With a fork, press the ball to make the criss cross pattern.
13. Bake for 18-22 minutes.
14. Remove from oven and let it sit on counter until the cookies are firm.
15. Carefully remove the cookies from the tray and transfer to a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely.
16. Enjoy with a cup of coffee. 


Roast peanuts in oven and transfer to a plate.



Rub to loosen the skin.



Remove the skin and crush the peanuts in a mortar.



Mix it with flour and baking powder.



Cream together butter, peanut butter and light brown sugar.



Add in the milk.



Add the flour and mix.



The dough will be sticky. Refrigerate it until firm.



Make small balls out of the dough.



Press the dough with a fork.



Make the criss cross impression on all the balls.



Bake until golden.



Cool on wire rack.



Serve..

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