Remember the peanut butter ginger chews I talked about the other day?

They are addicting to say the least. My mind was instantly racing with recipe ideas.

It kept stopping at cookies.

Seems pretty logical. Take a classic peanut butter cookie and infuse it with ginger. I searched for flourless peanut butter cookie recipes and pretty much found the same one everywhere I looked.

1 cup peanut butter + 1 cup sugar + 1 egg + 1 teaspoon vanilla

One cup of sugar sounded like a lot to me, but I knew it was not only there to sweeten, but to help thicken as well.

First things first. I made a batch of creamy peanut butter. Nothing but roasted nuts in this batch.

I wanted to try using maple syrup as the sweetener and cutting back the amount. I knew maple syrup would not thicken the cookie like dry sugar. Something else needed to be added.

Recently, I received a few samples of Pure Canadian Maple Syrup. Just like the sweet packaging says, “pure maple syrup is the real deal.” Definitely the truth. This syrup was top notch! Each bottle contains a different grades of maple syrup, and I of course sampled each one.

I used grade B in the cookies to add the most robust flavor.

So what about the extra ingredient?

Ground peanut meal!

In the first stage of the nut butter making, I ground the peanuts for about 30 seconds until a soft meal formed. I scooped out 1c and reserved it for the cookies. I wanted to use peanut meal to keep the cookies flourless, but also help to thicken them.

I thought they were for sure going to spread all over the pan so I didn’t flatten them at all.

I was shocked that they didn’t spread at all. After cooling and taste testing 4 of these babies, I concluded they were a success. They browned nicely on the outside and had a soft + doughy interior.

Flourless Peanut Butter Ginger Cookies v.1

adapted from flourless peanut butter cookies // yields 18-24 cookies

1 cup natural roasted peanut butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup ground peanut meal
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 egg, whisked
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
sea salt + sugar to top

Preheat your oven to 350*.
Grind peanut meal in a food processor, magic bullet or blender until soft + slightly mealy.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the peanut butter, maple syrup, ginger, whisked egg, peanut meal, and vanilla until well combined. The batter should form a soft dough.
Spoon onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, into tablespoon sized dollops.
Lightly flatten if desired. I did not flatten mine.
Sprinkle each cookie with sugar and a pinch of sea salt.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the pan once, half-way through. Cookies will continue to brown a bit once removed.
Let fully cool before handling. They will firm up and

*notes: You want to make sure to use natural peanut butter. If using store bought with oil on top, make sure to drain off the oil or completely incorporate it into the nut butter before adding to the recipe.

These turned out ever so slightly sweet, with a warm peanut flavor, and a little kick from the ginger. If you want them a bit sweeter, add 1/4c more maple syrup and 2-3T more peanut meal.

Now the 2nd batch was a bit more authentic to the typical peanut butter cookie.

For this batch, I went with the pure cane sugar and no peanut meal. I was still able to cut down the sugar by 1/3 cup without negatively affecting their texture.

Slightly crispy with a chewy center?

Oh yes.

I favored these a bit more, and I think it was due to the texture.

I’m totally cookied out.

Flourless Peanut Butter Ginger Cookies v.2 [adapted from flourless peanut butter cookies] yields 18-24 cookies

1c natural roasted peanut butter
2/3c pure cane sugar
2t ginger, minced
1 egg, whisked
1.5t vanilla extract
sea salt + sugar to top

Preheat your oven to 350*.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugar, ginger, whisked egg, and vanilla until well combined. The batter should form a thick dough.
Roll into small balls, and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Gently press down with a fork, twice, to make a crisscross pattern.
Sprinkle each cookie with sugar and a pinch of sea salt.
Bake for 10-13 minutes, rotating the pan once, half-way through. Cookies will continue to brown a bit once removed.
Let fully cool before handling. They will firm up.

Let the addiction continue!

And now to end with 3 things.

1. The blog switch continues but has been slowed by 1 glitch. I’m really hoping to have it up and running by Monday!

2. I’m sure you’ve seen all of those “Shit so an so says” videos lately, right? Well, the best one I’ve seen so far is “Shit Foodies Say.” “My dog just went gluten free...it’s been so hard...wanna’ go to Whole Foods?”

3. Who watches Parks and Rec?? I thought tonight's episode was extra fabulous. I adore Rob Lowe’s character in that show! “Lit-ra-lly!”

Ashley