Whilst I was shopping in the supermarket recently, I came across 'Peanut Powder'. I realise that all the vegans out there are probably screaming at their laptops as they read this thinking how lazy I am for buying peanut powder but, since I don't have a grinder, I figured these little granules of peanuts were begging to be experimented with.
I've been trying to get back in to my baking habit, which stopped when I moved to Singapore out of laziness and lack of convenience in buying baking ingredients. So on Saturday morning, I had a look through a recipe for peanut powder cookies and realised:
I had all the ingredients in my cupboards already
The recipe would involve 1 mixing bowl only
The cookies would take less than 30 minutes to bake
No brainer, basically.
So there I was on Saturday morning making a batch of peanut powder cookies. I knew I had made the right decision when my kitchen was filled with the warm aroma of roasted peanuts as the soft pillowed cookies baked in the oven. When they were finally done, they came out a wonderful golden colour, with granules of sugar sparkling across the top. The flavour of the cookie was gloriously peanutty (if you are a fan of peanut butter you'll love these), though not very sweet, which I personally loved. The consistency of the cookie is soft and chewy, however if you prefer a bit more of a snap, just bake for a bit longer.
I also wanted to mention that since making the cookies, I found out that peanut powder contains 85% less fat and calories than normal peanut butter! If the above didn't spur you in to action, surely that did?! I also replaced the butter in the original recipe with oil as not only is it easier to deal with but also means less fat is going in to the bowl. So all in all, a winner!
Ingredients (makes 36 cookies)
2/3 cup oil (I used sunflower)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Peanut Powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar for sprinkling over the top of the cookies
Directions
Heat oven to 180°C.
Pour the oil in to a mixing bowl and dd the sugar, beating together to ensure most lumps are smoothed out. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix until blended.
Add the flour, peanut powder, baking soda and salt and stir until combined.
Your mix should now be soft but pliable with a slightly greasy sheen.
Line a baking tray with baking paper to be used for baking the cookies.
Using a teaspoon, take about a teaspoon worth of cookie dough between your palms and role in to a small ball. Place the balls of cookie dough on to the baking sheet about 1 - 2 inches apart. Flatten the balls a little making a crisscross pattern with the back of a fork. Sprinkle a little bit of white granulated sugar over the top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. If you want the chewy interior, the cookies should still be a little soft in the middle when you remove them from the oven. If not, bake for a few minutes longer.
Cool the baked cookies for around 2 minutes before removing on to a cooling rack (or a plate, in my case) to cool completely.
Looking for something a little sweet, but perhaps a little different? Why not try my 'Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cookies'?