Cutting Carbohydrates? Try This Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Meal Monday                                                                                                           

I'd like to begin this Meal Monday post by saying I really like carbohydrates. In fact, Chocolate Cake and I have been the best of friends for years. She's helped me through many rough times, attended a number of my children's birthday parties and has always been there when I needed her. Unfortunately, as I've hit the eighth month of pregnancy, Ms. Cake and her carbohydrate-laden friends have suddenly become my enemies.

Struggling with gestationally-induced insulin resistance (as are nearly 5% of all pregnant women), I've had to begin keeping a closer eye on how many of these carbohydrates make their way into my home and at what time of day. But, I must admit, I miss them. I miss sitting down with a cup of tea and a friendly cookie and I miss pancakes for breakfast. So, instead of completely banishing my old friends from my life, I've had to be a little more creative, introducing myself to some of their close relatives.

One of the better recipes I've created is the following one for Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookies. Before you delve right in, a quick note about one of the ingredients, Almond Meal. It's also known as Almond Flour and though it can be purchased for exorbitant amounts of money in health food stores, it's very easy to make yourself.

Simply buy a pound of unblanched, non-salted almonds and grind them up in your coffee grinder. It helps to chop them up coarsely first in a food processor, but it's not necessary. As you process, the mixture will start looking a little like cornmeal. It's at this point you should stop grinding, as soon after that you will find yourself with Almond Butter instead of flour. Store the Almond Meal in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.

Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookies (recipe yields about 12 cookies)

Ingredients:
1/2 C crunchy peanut butter
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 egg
3/4 C Splenda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TB Smart Balance butter
1/4 C almond meal/flour

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Cream together Splenda and the butter in a mixing bowl, using a fork.
3. Add the crunchy and creamy peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Mix until ingredients are blended.
4. Add in almond meal and mix to a dough-like consistency.
5. Roll approximately 1 TB worth of dough into balls and place about an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (or line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil).
6. Use the tines of the fork to flatten each ball into a cookie.
7. Bake for 10 minutes.

Comments

[Katherine]

Mmm, I love peanut butter cookies! Unfortunately, my daughter is peanut allergic so I have to indulge outside the home. This receipe sounds great!

[Amy D.]

Trans fat is deadly--replace the smartbalance with actual butter and you will be much better off. Also, watch out for the transfat in most peanut butters. Only use those with peanuts and salt only.