6 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

I've posted Peanut Butter Cookiea before, and admittedly I'm a bit of a fanatic... But these cookies, you guys! They're SO GOOD. Not only are they gluten free, they're actually grain free because they have no flour at all. Just peanut buttery goodness. 

So go gather up your ingredients: 

-1 cup peanut butter (I love crunchy but I suppose creamy would do)

-1 cup coconut sugar (also great with brown sugar but coconut sugar is unrefined, low-glycemic and has a more unique flavor)

-1 large egg

-TBSP vanilla (only the good stuff: no artificial. I mean it!)

-tsp baking soda

-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 

Now mix: 

Stir it all up and drop by TBSP sized balls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. 

Bake:

350 for 8 minutes. You'll think they don't look done but I swear to you after they sit on the cookie sheet another 5 minutes they will be gooey cookie perfection!    

Enjoy!! ❤️

Birthday Cookies

My dad had a big birthday last month... I guess I'll be nice & not say just how big ;) 
But I felt it was an occasion worth celebrating. 
So I made his favorite cookies & sent a package! 
These are my favorite cookies to make because everyone loves them. Everyone!
They're a crispy-yet-still-chewy oatmeal cookie packed with craisins & walnuts and topped with white chocolate. 
What's not to love? 
They're also really fun for holidays because they're pretty :) 
And since the holidays seem to be upon us I thought I'd share the recipe. 
Send some to someone you love. 
Or maybe to someone you whose love you're trying to win... 

Sugar Mama Cookie

1/2 c Spectrum organic shortening1/2 c Earth Balance vegan butter

1 c dark brown sugar

2 TB agave nectar (not neccessarily required but it makes them super chewy!)

1 TB flax meal mixed + 3 TB hot water

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp xanthan gum

2 c gluten free flour mix

2 c gluten free oats

1/2 c craisins

1/2 c chopped walnuts

white chocolate

Cream shortening, butter, sugar & agave. 

Add flax+water mixture. 

Mix in dry ingredients. 

Stir in oats, craisins & walnuts. 

Drop by tablespoon or ice cream scoop onto cookie sheet. 

Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F. 

Cool on a cooling rack. 

Melt white chocolate (or dark chocolate is also delish) and drizzle on top of cookies. 

Enjoy!

Encourage One Another

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.  Hebrews 3:13 I have been feeling straight up encouraged this week. The Lord is blessing me and I am THANKFUL! So I'm feeling like I want to thank some ladies who have really encouraged me in one way or another recently. Hopefully you'll meet some new friends :) --> April from The Flourishing Abode and her super fun printable blog planner. I'm trying really hard to have some discipline and get a little more organization lately and this cute planner is really helpful! Plus her blog has tons of fun tips, plus she makes CUTE stuff! --> Kim from Oh, Sweet Joy! This girl shared her meal plan for the week with me. Might sound silly, but it really encouraged me to stay on track with planning and cooking instead of eating out! Again with the organization... Meal planning gives me such a headache sometimes and now I have a starting place for weekly meals and all I have to do is adapt it to what we have on hand :) Yay! Thanks Kim! --> Amanda at Royal Daughter Designs. I'm working with Amanda right now to create a custom hand-drawn logo which really freaked me out at first. Usually I just draw what inspires me and making something for someone else made me super nervous. Luckily she's so sweet and I have loved the extra challenge of pushing out of my comfort zone. Can't wait to show you when it's done!! I'm also encouraged by all of the amazing posts linked up at her Desire to Inspire link up each week :) --> Jessi from Naptime Diaries. I'm participating in her mentorship program right now and it's so exciting AND encouraging! I love Jessi's heart for community and helping mamas like me who are trying to bless their little fams with their creative gifts. I'm feeling challenged and inspired by her already and am so thankful for her willingness to share and give and help the rest of us find success :) Last, but most definitely not least, Gina at Acute Designs encouraged me to healthify my chocolate chip cookies this week :) I already looove this girl for her fancy earrings and now she's throwing healthy chocolate chip cookie bars my direction! I took out the dairy and gluten and baked a batch up immediately. I'm pretty sure Hunter and Lil were feeling encouraged too. And now, in the name of paying it forward, is my version. You're welcome. Healthy-ish Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars {makes about 16} -1 1/4 cups gluten free flour mix -1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder -3/4 teaspoon salt -1/2 cup packed brown sugar -1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan butter softened  -1 tablespoon vanilla extract -1 TB flax meal+3 TB warm water -1/2 cup all natural {no sugar added} applesauce -1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 1. Put the applesauce in a fine sieve and allow the water to drain out.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes and a good portion of the water will have drained. 2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside. 3. Put the softened butter {let the butter sit at room temperature until soft or microwave for 10-20 seconds....just until soft, not melted} and sugar in the bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well blended.  Once blended add the flax meal+water, vanilla extract, and drained applesauce.  Mix for another minute. 4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. 5. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. 6. Line a square baking dish with parchment paper {or spray well with non-stick spray} and pour the batter into the pan.  Spread the batter out with a spatula until evenly distributed throughout the pan. 7. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 mintes.

Enjoy it friends!
Who will you encourage this week?
(Linking with Jami for We Encourage Tuesday.)

Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies

So remember when I featured Jacky from The Sweetest Petunia?
Remember how she shared her favorite recipe?
That just so happened to be a fabulous recipe for dark chocolate espresso cookies?
Uh... YUM.
Anyway, it called for a brownie mix... which Sugar Mama happens to have :)
But I still needed to make some changes to make it work.
So I slaved away (and was forced to eat a couple batches that "failed").
But they're ready.
And I feel like I should warn you:
They're really good.
Just be careful ok?
I'd hate to be responsible for tummy aches.



ingredients:

• 1 cup garbanzo flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 2 TBSP tapioca starch (or arrowroot)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBSP vanilla (or vanilla powder)
• 3 TBSP coffee (or water)
• 2 TBSP instant espresso
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir espresso powder into coffee for a stronger flavor (or water if you prefer a more subtle coffee flavor) and set aside.
• Whisk together all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
• Add oil, applesauce & espresso liquid and mix until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Drop by tsp onto cookie sheet & bake for 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Thank you Jackie for the sweet inspiration.

And thank you Lord for dark chocolate & espresso... and cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Listen, since we're on the subject of comfort food...

I really think I need to bring up peanut butter cookies.

I don' t know if these are on anyone else's comfort food list?

But no matter how many fancy schmancy desserts I find (or make),

Plain old peanut butter cookies always seem to stay at the tip top of my very favorites.

Here are some elements that make up good comfort food to me:

-Nostalgic. These always take me back to 12-year-old Ashley whipping up cookies for my brothers after school :)

-Simple. I know that lots of people want triple-death-by-chocolate-overload-t0-the-max when they're looking for some lovin' from the oven. But not me. I just want something I can mix up without much thought. I actually love to stir these by hand without the trusty kitchen-aid. Part of the comfort for me comes from the whole creation process, not just the tasty outcome!

-Delicious. Yeah, this one goes without saying. I just wanted to make sure you knew. These are dang good. Do a test. Make a batch & give them to your friends, but don't them they're gluten free/ vegan until AFTER they rave about the goodness ;) I bet they'll be surprised.

Oh yeah, you want the recipe right?

Peanut Butter Cookies

(I made you a printable version.)

ingredients:

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan butter (or Spectrum shortening)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups gf flour blend (I love Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp xanthan
• organic cane sugar

instructions:

• in a small bowl whisk together flour, soda & xanthan and set aside
• with electric mixer combine all other ingredients and mix until smooth
• slowly mix in dry ingredients
• roll dough into balls and roll in cane sugar
• flatten cookies with palm or use fork to make traditional cross marks
• bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes
• Enjoy!

Well, there you have it.

My thoughts on comfort food.

By the way, this recipe won me a front page feature at The Flaming Vegan.

Have you hear of it?

You can add your favorite bloggers and vote for the posts you'd like to see featured!!

I would love for you to check it out and add me to your blogger list.

I'll be posting new recipes there before they even show up here so you'll be like VIP ;)

So what are your comfort foods?

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hey there! Ok so let's don't beat around the bush.

I'm in a cookie mood today.

Which isn't that different than most days... anyway...

Here is the Sugar Mama recipe for killer chocolate chip cookies.

Gluten free. Vegan. Organic. Fair Trade. MY FAVORITE! Enjoy :)

Sugar Mama’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2½ C Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Mix
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp xanthum gum
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 C Spectrum organic shortening
• ½ C Wholesome Sweeteners brown sugar (organic, fair trade & certified gluten free)
• ½ C Wholesome Sweeteners cane sugar (organic, fair trade & certified gluten free)
• ¼ C Wholesome Sweeteners agave nectar (organic, fair trade & certified gluten free)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBSP flax meal
• ¼ C coconut milk (soy & rice milk also work great!)
• ¾ -1 C Sweet Earth chocolate chips (fair trade, vegan, organic & gluten free!)

o Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
o Whisk together baking mix, salt, xanthum gum & soda.
o In separate bowl mix shortening, sugars, agave,
vanilla, flax & coconut milk until creamy.
o Slowly mix in dry ingredients until fully combined.
o Stir in chocolate chips.
o Drop by TBSP onto cookie sheets.
o Bake 10-12 minutes.
o Enjoy ☺

(Linking up here & here.)

Shortbread Cookies

We finally had Christmas with my family last weekend, and we're still exchanging gifts with Hunter's fam this Saturday...

So the rest of you may be way past the holidays but our tree is still up & we've got sugar cookies on the brain!

Not to mention how perfect these would be in red and pink for the next holiday ;)

Remember last week when I mentioned my favorite shortbread cookies and flour mix?

I found the recipe here and it it good.

Trust me. I've tried a lot of shortbread/ sugar cookie recipes in the past month.

I've missed them since I went gluten free almost 4 years ago.

Sugar cookie recipes tend to be so simple and when you're subbing for the main ingredients (flour & butter) it's hard to get that perfect light and airy texture.

But these do a great job! They easy to roll out and hold their shape perfectly when they bake.

I played around with some royal icing but my better half said he preferred the fluffy vanilla icing.

So I made it turquoise, duh :)

**A few side notes:

I used Spectrum organic shortening instead of butter.

This recipe does contain one egg, so unfortunately it's not vegan but still great if you avoid milk!

I'm working on an egg free version... stay tuned.

(You can find more gluten free ideas today over here.)