http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/flourless-and-almost-sugar-free-cookies.html
Flourless and (almost) Sugar Free Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Flourless and almost sugar-free cookiesValentine’s Day is next weekend, and I’ve been experimenting to create a chocolate cookie recipe that was sugar-free. After lots of tries that weren’t bad but not quite what I wanted, I decided it was worth using the tiniest bit of brown sugar to take the edge off the chocolate and add crispiness. These cookies only have 2 T brown sugar plus the small amount of sugar that’s in the peanut butter, so they really are *almost* sugar free. If your Valentine is someone who wants to avoid sugar, for the South Beach Diet or for health reasons, I guarantee these cookies will do the trick. I even tried them out on the teenage son of my contractor and he pronounced them “really good!”
I rarely use Splenda Brown Sugar Blend in a recipe because I’m so annoyed with the nutritional information on the package, listed in 1/2 teaspoons for a baking product! However, if you wanted even less sugar, you could use that to replace the brown sugar. For those who are wondering, I did try Agave Nectar instead of brown sugar in one of my experiments, but the cookies burned on the bottom. If anyone tries that and gets a better result, I’d love to hear about it.
Use a hand beater to mix together the cookies for best results. I used chunky peanut butter, but you could use plain peanut butter for a more elegant cookie. This dough is pretty stiff after you add the peanut butter, so you may need to scrape it off the beaters.
I scooped out dough with a small spoon, about 2 tsp. of dough per cookie, and rolled it into a ball. I was using my toaster oven, so I baked 12 cookies at a time for a total of 24 small cookies.
I used a fork to press down the cookies, necessary because they don’t spread out much. I baked these cookies on parchment, but if you don’t have any I don’t think it’s completely necessary.
Flourless and (almost) Sugar Free Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate
(Makes 24 small cookies, recipe created by Kalyn)
2 eggs
1 cup Splenda granular sweetener
2 T Brown Sugar (or use 2 T Splenda Brown Sugar Blend or 1 T Splenda + 1 T brown sugar)
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla (I used Mexican vanilla)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 C natural peanut butter without added sugar, the brand I buy has only 1 gram sugar in 2 T (When I’m buying peanut butter to make cookies, I pour off all the oil that is on the top of the jar when you first open it. I recommend doing that so cookies don’t turn out too oily.)
Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Cut parchment to fit baking sheet, or spray with non-stick spray.
In plastic bowl, add eggs, Splenda, Brown Sugar (or substitute described above), cocoa powder, baking powder, and vanilla. Use hand beater or stand mixer to beat together about 30 seconds. Add almond meal and beat 15-20 seconds. Add peanut butter and beat until well mixed., about 20 more seconds. Dough will be stiff, so scrape it off the beaters if needed.
Use a small spoon to measure out about 2 tsp. of dough and roll each cookie into a ball, then arrange cookies in rows on baking sheet. Leave enough room to smash down cookies with a fork when the baking sheet is full. Smash cookies to about 1/2 inch thick, then bake for 15-17 minutes, or until top feels firm and cookies look done. Let cool a few minutes before eating.
South Beach Suggestions:
Cookies like this with very minimal sugar are something I would make occasionally as a South Beach Diet friendly dessert. Everything used here is a low-glycemic ingredient, but the cookies are relatively high in fat, so this is probably a “once in a while treat” for the South Beach Diet.
More Cookies with Chocolate or Peanut Butter
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Flourless, Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies from Baking Bites
Gluten-Free Chocolate Biscotti Cookies from Karina’s Kitchen
John’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from Gluten-Free Cooking School
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies from Andrea’s Recipes
(Want even more peanut butter chocolate cookie recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)