Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Cups...

Hi everyone. Today was my first cookie baking day before Christmas. I am running late with my baking this year, and being my first Christmas of going totally gluten free, it has left me quite overwhelmed to say the least.

I did however run across this great recipe on the Betty Crocker site, and I decided to make it my first attempt of gluten free cookies for my cookie trays this year. I needed something that was going to taste good enough to please my family members who are definitely not gluten free eaters, and for myself and husband who are totally gluten free.

Although it uses their gluten free chocolate chip cookie mix, and is not a recipe from scratch, I am well pleased with the results. Not only was it quick and easy, but tastes delicious. I must admit it took a little more time than conventional drop cookies, but the effort and decorative look of the cookies will look quite pleasing on my gift trays.

The recipe made 54 cookies, and with a quick tip I used, helped to speed the process along.  After mixing the dough I divided the dough in half down the center of the bowl. I used a cookie scoop, leveling the batter to the top of the scoop, then divided the portion into two. So all in all, I got about 12 scoops per side, with two cookies per scoop when divided in half. This was a quick easy way to insure the same amount of dough was used per each cookie.

I also made sure I had all the miniature peanut butter cup candies unwrapped before I started  mixing the dough, as once the cookie cups come out of the oven these treats need to be placed in the center of each cookie cup immediately.

I had found these cute little Christmas cup liners at our local Dollar Tree for the mini muffin/tart pans in which to drop the rolled balls of dough. Aside from rolling the dough balls, and pressing the mini peanut butter cups into the center as soon as they come from the oven, this was a rather quick process, and I was done in no time at all it seemed.

You will find this and other gluten free cookie recipes on their site at http://www.bettercrocker.com but I wanted to share this recipe with you in time for the holidays. The cookies are really delicious and look quite festive. These would be great for a cookie exchange, or as a gift for someone you love. Hope you enjoy!

By the way...If I were rating the results of this mix  and recipe, I would definitely give it 5 Stars!

Gluten free Peanut butter cookies...

1 Box 19 oz) Betty Crocker GF chocolate chip cookie mix
1 egg
1/2 C softened butter
1 teas. vanilla
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
Approx 60 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place the mini paper baking cups in each of 24 mini muffin/tart tins.

In a large bowl mix the cookie mix, egg, butter, and vanilla with a spoon. (I used my hand mixer on low speed)  Stir in the peanut butter. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls (using method I previous mentioned above to divide) Place in the lined mini muffin/tart tins.

Bake 9-11 minutes (I baked mine for 11 Min), or until just lightly browned. Immediately press the unwrapped peanut butter cup candies into the center of each cookie. Cool entire pan on a wire rack at least 5 minutes before removing cookies from tins to a cooling rack. Cool completely and enjoy.

Hope you have a great wheat free cookie kind of day!
Sharon
 

Kit's Organic bars product review...

 I just realized today how back logged I am with products that need to be sampled and reviewed. So many wonderful companies have been generous enough to send products to be reviewed that it seems catch up is definitely in order. Kit's Organic was kind enough to send me three of their flavored bars to sample and review a while back, so since I needed a quick snack on the run this morning I will talk about their products today.

First lets talk about their Cashew Fruit & Nut bar. When you think cashew, you think nutty, crunchy...right? This was my initial impression also. Now I need to be in the mood for nuts of any kind, especially if I am in a hurry and don't feel like taking the time to chew...

I was pleasantly surprised. Not only with the ingredients on the package, but also with the flavors they incorporated together. Just four ingredients total are blended to make this tasty, filling, and what is a rather healthy snack treat. Organic dates, organic cashews, organic almonds and sea salt. Quite simple ingredients, and also delicious. This bar has only 170 calories. 27g of carbohydrates, 3g of  dietary fiber, 15g sugars and 3g of protein.

I figured that I was going to be overwhelmed with the taste of the dates, being they are listed first on the ingredients list,  but was quite frankly I was surprised. After the first few bites I could taste the flavor of the cashews and almonds, which blended with the texture of the dates quite smoothly. The texture of the bar was smooth, with just the right feel for a good "chew".

The second bar I tried was the Berry Almond Fruit & Nut bar. Wow! The burst  of the Organic barberries and bilberries was quite a experience, and left me wanting more. This bar once again has minimal ingredients. Organic dates, organic almonds, organic barberries, organic bilberries, and sea salt. Except for the smooth chewiness, this tasted like a fresh bowl of berries topped with almonds! This bar has 27g of carbohydrates, 5g of fiber, 16g sugars and 4g of protein.

The third bar I sampled was their Chocolate Almond Coconut Fruit & Nut bar. Quite surprisingly this tasted very close to a Mounds candy bar, but with healthier ingredients, so I got the best of both worlds! The ingredients in this bar were: Organic dates, organic almonds, unsweetened chocolate, organic coconut, organic virgin coconut oil, and seal salt. This bar contains 25g carbohydrates, 5g dietary fiber, 15g sugars, and 4g protein. Although I enjoyed all  three bars immensely I recommend this bar highly because of my love for anything CHOCOLATE!

The company uses organic ingredients in all their products. Free from the use of toxic pesticides or synthetic chemicals. Ingredients that are not only better for the planet, but also for the body and soul. Their foods are not only free of trans fats, but also hydrogenated oils, and high fructose corn syrups for a healthier life style.

For more information about Kit's organic bars you can visit http://www.clifbar.com The company offers many kinds of bars, all of which are NOT gluten free, although they offer many products that are.

Products that are listed as gluten free:

Kit's Organics....(brand name)
Berry Almond Fruit & Nut bar
Cashew Fruit & Nut bar
Cashew Almond Coconut Fruit & Nut bar
Peanut Butter Fruit & Nut bar

Clif Kid...(brand name)
Fruit Punch
Grape
Mixed berry
Sour Apple
Strawberry
Tropical Twist

Luna...(brand name)
Chocolate
Chocolate cherry Almond
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Cookie Dough
Mint Chocolate Chip

Rating:

Cashew Fruit & Nut bar   5 Stars
Berry Almond Fruit & Nut bar    5+  Stars
Chocolate Almond Coconut Fruit & Nut bar   5+  Stars

Enjoy, and have a great wheat free day!
Sharon