Ridiculously Simple Cookies

Janet here: I had planned to kick off the week with a Meatless Monday casserole as part of my fixation with Faith Durand's new cookbook, Not Your Mother's Casseroles. But then I saw a recipe for cookies without flour or butter, and I thought...Really? Is this possible? Will they be even remotely edible?

Yes. And yes.

I guess it makes sense on some level since flourless tortes have been around for a while. But cookies?

Yes. And yes.

These take about 2 minutes to whip up and 10 minutes to bake and then you can be stuffing your face with deliciousness. I'm not kidding.

I also think they just might be less caloric sans the flour and butter. I haven't studied that in depth of course, but that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Flourless/Butterless Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies
makes about 16

ingredients
1 cup peanut butter (I used creamy but I suspect chunky would work too)
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup or so chocolate chunks

THAT IS IT.

method
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Whip the first four ingredients together. Add the chocolate chunks. Place dollops on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool on the sheet. Try not to eat more than one.

Peanut Butter + Snickers Bars = Heavenly

Regular readers may see a pattern evolving here. Rachel posts some incredibly healthy concoction like the hummus she made recently, and I counter it with some decidedly not-healthy but oh-so-tasty and good-for-the-soul sugarfest.

Hence today's post on peanut butter Snickers bar cookies. I remain inspired by the stuffing cookie concept first started by Picky Palate (at least for me) and then continued by every creative, candy crunching chocoholic in the culinary world. If Oreos work, why not Heath bars? Why not Butterfingers?

And why not peanut butter cookies with some chopped up Snickers bars thrown in?

So I took it upon myself to give these a whirl. Peter proclaimed them a little on the dry side. I took them to a baking event thrown by the orchestra I play in and while they did not win, a number of people voted for them and proclaimed them tasty. I, meanwhile, have eaten most of what's left over so there it is. I will say this as a further inducement: the caramel in the Snickers melts into this divine gooey mess while hot and into a more toffee delight after the cookie cools.

Let us know what you think.



Peanut Butter Snickers Bar Cookies

ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup softened butter, unsalted
pinch of salt
1 cup cream peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
about 1 1/2 cups chopped up Snickers bars
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

method
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add the eggs. Beat again. Add the dry ingredients and beat until creamy. Add in the milk and stir. Then add the Snickers pieces and milk chocolate chips. Stir until blended.

Drop in large spoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Don't overcook. Cool on the sheet for a minute before adding to a cookie rack to cool further.