Healthy Peanut Butter & Honey Cookies

Enjolinfam's Note:

Really quick to make, but you need a food processor. A very healthy cookie, so you won't feel bad going back for seconds or thirds! You can also make these cookies gluten-free by replacing the whole wheat flour with 1 cup brown rice flour and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. From the Bracketts 7 Secrets Cookbook to lose weight, lower cholesterol, and reverse diabetes.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 20

Yield: 20.0 cookies

• 2 cups dry roasted peanuts
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or 1 cup oats
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if peanuts are already salted)

Directions:

1. Place peanuts and flour in a food processor and whiz for about 1 minute until nuts and flour are about the same texture.
2. Microwave honey. This is a critical step. The honey is the liquid in the recipe. It needs to pour like water or the mix will seem dry and if too much water is added, the cookies will be tough.
3. Place flour-and-nut mixture in a mixing bowl and add the salt if the peanuts are not already salted. Mix in the honey and vanilla. Stir together and then mix with your hands. (If your food processor is large enough, you can mix the honey and vanilla in the processor. Turn on briefly to mix.).
4. Note: The dough should hold together without being dry and crumbly. If needed, add a tablespoon of water, but be careful not to get it so wet that it sticks to your hands. It should be like piecrust. If it is too dry, the cookies will crumble and not hold together, but if too wet, they will be hard to handle and the baked cookies will be hard. A little extra flour can be worked in if the dough is too sticky!
5. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into balls the size of walnuts. Place on a cookie sheet and press flat with hands. Then press flatter with fork, dipping the fork in water as needed to keep it from sticking to the dough (or use a plastic fork - it won't stick even if dry, but will break unless you press on the tines).
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Watch them carefully. They are done when just beginning to brown on the edges. I can think of nothing that burns so easily as peanut butter cookies, so take them out before it looks like they're done!
7. Let them cool on the cookie sheet before removing.

Reviews

[Boomette]

I made it with all purpose flour. I mixed everything in the food processor. I didn't have to add water or anything else. I got 29 cookies. 10 minutes cooking and they were perfect. I'll have to try with oats another time. They have a great taste and crispy just the way I like it. Thanks Enjolinfam :) Made for the Australian Swap for February 2011

[Chef #1573606]

I didn't have any peanuts handy, so I used 1 C of peanut butter and an extra 1 C of oats. These turned out really great. Would probably be better for you if you used the all natural peanut butter. :)

[Brooke the Cook in WI]

Wow - these were great cookies considering they have no added butter or oil! I used all oats and did not find the need to add any additional water, just a few more oats. My peanuts were lightly salted, so probably could have used just a smidge more added in. Might try a dash a cinnamon next time around.