Chocolate Peanut Cookies (gluten free)

Do you listen to the radio? Are you a Top 40 fan? An alternative station faithful? Do you make cool playlists that are the hit at parties far and wide: are you that friend who always knows what’s next?

I do not listen to the radio. I rely on the years of exposure to Mum’s choice in music (50s-80s and heavy on the saxophone solos), Jess’s iPhone playlists when we are in the car, and Chris’s latest obsessions, to inform my music choices. When I do have to listen to the radio, that is, when I have forgotten to plug my iPhone into the car with a preloaded podcast, I often fall back on news and information heavy stations like Radio National or classical music stations. I am not a cool kid. When I listen to music at home I turn to the classics: Edith Piaf, Dean Martin, Cher… My point is, I am not the person you come to when you need a musical recommendation. I am, however, the person you come to when you are in need of a cookie recommendation.

The combination of dough and mix-ins seems infinite to me. A whole orchestra of flavours and textures at my fingertips. I am the composer, the conductor and the soloist. While I know I will never write a symphony, I am certain that I can keep conducting sweet treats from my kitchen for many years to come.

These cookies were born from the flavours of one of my new addictions: Mayver’s Organic Peanut & Cacao Spread. I blame my blog friend Jennifer from Milk and Honey for introducing me to its intense chocolate and peanut flavour. With this as my background tempo (is that a real music term?) I set about layering on the other notes: salted peanuts, chocolate chips, brown sugar. In the end these all came together in a tangle of salty sweet chunky perfection. These are similar in texture to my Chocolate Chip Pebble Cookies, but the taste of the Cacao Spread comes through in the dough. They are a cakey cookie, a brownie in more portable biscuit form, studded with milk chocolate chips and moreish salted peanuts. Maybe not worthy of Mozart (I am working up the courage to attempt gluten free pastry Wolfgang), but welcome on the side of plate while listening to whatever pleases your ears.

Chocolate Peanut Cookies

Gluten Free | Makes approximately 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 80 grams butter, softened
• 80 grams Mayver’s Organic Peanut & Cacao Spread at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 90 grams buckwheat flour
• 75 grams sorghum flour
• 70 grams brown rice flour
• 40 grams cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F) and line two large cookie sheets with baking paper. Set aside until required.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter, peanut and cacao spread, brown sugar, caster sugar and vanilla essence. Beat until fluffy.
3. Add eggs and beat until well incorporated and smooth.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, brown rice flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
5. Add whisked flours to egg mixture and beat until combined. This is a dry dough so watch out for pockets of flour.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and salted peanuts.
7. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets, leave a few centimetres between dough balls for spreading. Press down lightly on top to flatten slightly.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Rotate trays halfway through cooking time. Cookies are done when the edges are firm to the touch.
9. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
10. Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or wrapped well and frozen for up to 2 months.