VEGAN: Peanut Butter Cookies

[Guest guest]

I've always thought there should be a " gourmet " type vegan baking

book so I was happy to find Sweet and Natural: More than 120

Naturally Sweet and Dairy-Free Desserts at the library. It includes

gorgeous color photos and a huge ingredients chapter at the beginning

that is worth the price of the book alone. She discusses the various

alternative sweeteners available in detail and it is obvious she's an

experienced pastry chef who has tested the recipes over and over

again. My only complaint is that sometimes I couldn't figure out the

nutritional analysis for the recipe as the serving amounts could be

variable (along with the ingredient amounts). And for true vegans, a

few of the recipes list honey as one of several possible sweeteners.

 

Here's one recipe I did try from the book that was quite good

(although I did substitute honey as I have NO experience with any of

the natural sweeteners):

 

* Exported from MasterCook II *

 

Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Recipe By : Sweet & Natural/Meredith McCarty

Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Cookies Vegan Baking

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or 3/4 c)

1 cup unbleached white flour (or 3/4 c)

2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup light vegetable oil

1/2 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth

1/2 cup Fruit Source Syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment or

brush with oil.

 

2. Mix dry ingredients, adding only 3/4 cup each of the flours for

small drop cookies or the amount specified for bigger cookies that

hold their shape. Whisk wet ingredients together and add to dry to

form a smooth batter or dough.

 

3. Transfer wetter dough (if you used less flour) to baking sheets by

heaping teaspoons or, for perfect shapes, roll that amount in your

palms to make balls and flatten somewhat. For fimer dough (if you

used the larger amount of flour), measure in 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup

portions with ice cream scoop or measuring cup and shape into balls.

Either way, press tops with a fork in classic crisscross design.

 

4. Bake until bottoms are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

 

Variations: Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies - Substitute cocoa powder for

1/2 cup flour and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies: Make indentation in center of cokie

and fill with 1 tsp portion of jelly.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

NOTES : Fruit Source Syrup is a fruit and grain sweetener containing

organic brown rice syrup and grape juice concentrate. In dessert

cookery, Fruit Source lends a very pleasing sweet taste, brighter and

stronger than rice syrup, but milder than maple syrup.