Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

When I was making the kids' lunches yesterday morning I realized it had been a couple of weeks since they wanted PB&J. (Their current kick is ham and mustard.) That got me thinking about the new jar of Smart Balance PB I had just purchased and the fun ways I could use it up. My first thought was peanut butter cookies, of course, but I also tossed around the idea of peanut butter pie or cupcakes with chocolate frosting. I never got around to making anything because of an appt. When Bubba got home from work he said (and I swear I didn't mention anything about wanting to make PB cookies) that he had been thinking about PB cookies all day and would I please make some. It's officially happened...we have been married long enough that we are reading each other's minds. :) :) So PB cookies it is!!

You will need:

3/4 cup Smart Balance sticks (or butter)
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups white whole wheat flour
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2T sugar for topping



Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Beat the sugars and butter in an electric mixer for two minutes (until fluffy) and then beat in the peanut butter. I use Smart Balance natural PB. It has a very low sugar content, contains Omega 3, has and no hydrogenated oil (trans fat). Check your labels. If you have more than 3g of sugar per serving decrease the amount of sugar you use in this recipe. Some of the big name peanut butters are almost pure sugar. Natural peanut butter is the best!



Add the egg and the vanilla and mix together.



Add the salt and baking soda to the flour and add to the peanut butter mixture one cup at a time, mixing after each cup.



Roll the batter into 1-inch balls (you may have to refrigerate for a half hour if you batter is too sticky). Place the cookies on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.




Dip a fork into the 2T sugar and press into the cookie twice, making a crisscross pattern.





Bake for 15 minutes and then cool on a wire rack.



You don't notice that these cookies are whole wheat. They are light and soft on the inside while the edges are crisp. Perfect. You can dress them up a bit by adding a 1/2 cup of peanuts or chocolate chips if you like, but I like them just they way they are.



Store them in a plastic bag for a week or freeze them for up to a month. If these cookies last until tomorrow morning in this house I will be surprised. If cookies go fast in your house, too, hide a couple and have them with your morning coffee. With the whole wheat and natural peanut butter they are no different than having a muffin in the morning and maybe even better for you (dependent on the sugar content of your muffins).



Enjoy!!

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