Peanut Butter M&M Cookies - Gluten Free!

I love these very simple holiday cookies that also happen to be gluten-free (because they're flourless)! They do have brown sugar, but if you know someone who can't tolerate gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, oats, and barley, this might be a fun cookie that they - and everyone - will love. Trust me, you won't miss the flour. I also call them "2" cookies because most of the ingredients come in quantities of 2!

Ingredients:

2 cups peanut butter (look for natural peanut butter with 2 ingredients: peanuts, salt)

2 cups brown sugar

2 organic eggs

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 bag M&Ms (peanut or peanut butter are the best)

1/2 bag chocolate or dark chocolate chunks

(NOTE: In these photos, I doubled the ingredients.)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream peanut butter and brown sugar in a large bowl.

Add eggs and baking soda.

Mix until fully incorporated. Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chunks.

Scoop out 1-inch pieces and roll into balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Make sure to not bake too long, as the bottoms burn easily.

Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Serve on a platter and enjoy!

*M*

Ginger Crinkle Cookies

Christmas spirit is in the air! Even though Thanksgiving is still ahead of us, my husband and I decided that we were going to get this holiday party started by putting up the tree and decking our halls a bit earlier than usual. If you're in the holiday spirit, or if you're one of the many who is trapped inside today due to inclement weather this weekend, consider making some yummy, healthier ginger crinkle cookies! They are easy, made with real ingredients (including disease-fighting spices like cinnamon and ginger), and most importantly really yummy.

I adapted this recipe from EatingWell.com last year, and they're still popular this year. I substituted grapeseed oil for canola oil. Grapeseed oil can be found in most grocery stores and at Trader Joe's. Raw turbinado sugar is more coarse in texture than regular raw sugar, and it gives these cookies their crunch.

Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Makes 34 cookies

2/3 cup grapeseed or cold pressed safflower oil
1 1/2 cups raw turbinado sugar, divided
1 large organic egg
4 tablespoons molasses or real maple syrup
2 cups sifted whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble your ingredients.

Mix oil and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl until combined.





Beat in egg until combined.


Stir in molasses or maple syrup until evenly incorporated.


Add flour:



Baking soda:


Cinnamon:

Ginger (and salt):

Put the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in the sugar before placing them 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. DO NOT FLATTEN.


Bake the cookies until set, but still soft when gently touched, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.






The best part? After rolling them in sugar, you can place them in a glass or plastic container and freeze them for later! I made them for two Karve seminars that I was giving one week apart. I made the dough, baked half, and froze the other half in the form of prepped, sugar-rolled dough balls. I simply popped them on a cookie sheet straight out of the freezer (they don't even stick together) and baked them for just a minute or two longer than I do when they're raw. Easy and convenient!


Enjoy!

*M*