P.B. King

  I am not a baker.  I cook, but normally do not bake.  On a chemically speaking level, I understand what occurs when you cook something.  I understand boiling, sauteing, searing, fats, oils, and spices.  When you add sugar to the mix, somehow that throws off my game.  Baking is just a little on the edge of being a little too much for me.  I could pay all the attention I want to many recipes to get them to turn out right, but baking just never works out for me.  My cakes and cookies normally turn out dense when they should be fluffy.  My bread, the same.  And just when I did get all of the fluffiness down with regular flour, I go and cut gluten out of my diet.  Not to quote Avril Lavigne or anything, but I find myself singing, "Why do you have to make things so complicated?"  I guess that is just how I roll, the cookie dough that is.

This Valentine's day, my hubby made his Valentine request a little too late.  He wanted Nike socks.  Instead, I made him peanut butter cookie cups where peanut buttery goodness is the king.  Peanut butter rules in all ways using a peanut butter cookie base, peanut butter M&M's, and peanut butter mini Reese's peanut butter cups. I think he is happier right now with the cookies than the socks.  This is the first legit baking recipe that is gluten free and totally my own recipe.  Not to say that there might be some other recipe very similar to mine out there in the blogosphere, Internet, or wherever.  But, I totally came up with this on my own. I am not ripping it off from anyone else and now declare myself a little more comfortable in the baking department. And, it came out the way it should have.  Not too dense, not too rich, all using gluten free flour. 

I've tried using other gluten-free flours before; however, many taste like crap.  Yeah, I said crap.  While browsing the isles of William's Sonoma, the Bear discovered a gluten-free flour blend called C4C or Cup 4 Cup.  I debated over purchasing the flour as it was $20.  Being it was right after the car accident and I was on some good pain meds I thought, "Eh, what the heck," and bought it.  We came home, I made brownies using the C4C as a substitute for regular flour and the Bear said they were the best brownies I had ever made.  I figure I'm on to something.  Thus the P.B. King Cookie Cups are born!  Make these sans the C4C if you are a gluten eater or with your favorite gluten-free blend, but GF friends C4C is totally worth the $20!

P.B. King Cookie Cups

Mini muffin tin lined with mini muffin wrappers

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup egg substitute (or one large egg, I just had egg substitute around so that is what I used)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup C4C or other flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 bag peanut butter M & M's

1 bag mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.  Add the egg substitute and vanilla extract and beat until combine.  In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually beat the dry ingredients to your wet mixture.  Finally, add the M&M's and Reese's.  Stir until combine. 

With a cookie scoop or two tablespoons, divide your mixture into your muffin tin.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 20-30 minutes before consuming, then enjoy!