Peanut Butter Cookies (Soy, Fish, Wheat and Milk-Free, Can Be Diabetic Friendly)

This recipe is a modified version of one posted on FoodNetwork.com by Paula Deen. It's super simple and delicious! These cookies just melt in your mouth.

Please note that this recipe is also soy-free if you use all soy-free ingredients, fish, wheat and milk-free and can be diabetic friendly. :)

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 Tablespoon cinnamon (optional)

1/2 Cup white sugar (optional)

1 egg

1 Cup smooth, natural peanut butter (I recommend Smucker's)

1 Cup white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF.

2. Mix cinnamon and 1/2 Cup sugar together in small bowl and set aside. (You can either skip this step entirely or use just white sugar if you wish.)

3. Beat egg, peanut butter and sugar together until dough forms. (You can do this by hand with a wooden or metal spoon, or you can use an electric mixer.)

4. Shape the dough into small balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture, just plain white sugar or leave plain. (Note: The smaller you make these cookies, the crispier they are. If you make them larger, they are softer. Either way, they still melt in your mouth. :) )

5. Place balls on cookie sheet about 1 inch apart and flatten them with a fork in a crisscross pattern or use your hand if you wish.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE.

7. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet about a minute before moving them to waxed paper, brown paper (paper bags cut to lay flat is what I use) or a wire rack to cool.

This recipe makes around 30 cookies, depending on size.

Variations:

• PB & J Thumbprints: Omit cinnamon. After rolling dough into balls (rolling in sugar is optional) and placing them on the cookie sheet, indent the center with your thumb, spoon or the back of a melon baller and fill with 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite jam, jelly or preserves before baking as directed.
     
• PB & J Sandwich Cookies: Omit cinnamon. Prepare and bake as directed (Rolling in sugar is optional). When cookies have cooled, spread a small amount of jelly on the underside of 1 cookie before placing another cookie on top of it. (Note, this will only give you around 15 cookies.)
     
• Peanut Butter Blossoms: Omit cinnamon. Prepare and bake as directed (rolling in sugar in optional) WITHOUT pressing them down with a fork before baking. As soon as you remove them from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss (any kind that you like that you think will go well with peanut butter) into the middle of each cookie before moving them to a wire rack, brown paper or waxed paper to cool. (Note: This version is not soy or milk-free.)
     
• Peanut Butter Candy Surprise Cookies: Omit the cinnamon. After dough is prepared, wrap a small amount around a miniature candy of your choice (i.e. Mini Snickers, Mini Reese's Cups, Rolos, Kisses, Caramels) before rolling in sugar (if desired) and baking as directed WITHOUT pressing them down with a fork. (Note: This version is not soy or milk-free, nor does it make 30 cookies. Generally it makes around 20.)
• Diabetic Version: Substitue Splenda for the sugar and bake as directed.
    
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip: Omit cinnamon.  Make a double batch of the dough and stir in a bag of chocolate chips.  Rolls in sugar if desired, and bake as directed.  (Note: This version is not milk-free unless you use a milk-free chocolate and is not soy-free unless you use a soy-free chocolate.  There are milk-free, soy-free chocolates out there as well.)

Every time I have made these cookies, they have been a huge hit with kids and adults alike. I hope you enjoy them!

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)