Peanut Butter And Jelly Cookies

Of course these aren’t made with peanut butter, we use almond butter and SunButter to give this cookie the perfect peanut taste without the mycotoxins. A tasty twist on classic peanut butter and jelly!
Raspberry Chia Seed Jam
2 overflowing cup of raspberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons whole chia seeds
1/8 teaspoon KAL liquid stevia, or other sweetener to taste

Cookie:

1 organic egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt (if you use roasted almond butter with added salt omit the salt)<
½ cup xylitol
½ cup raw almond butter
½ cup organic SunButter (organic SunButter is unsweetened)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°
Jam: In a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat add lemon juice and berries. Cook until lightly simmering. You will know they are ready when they can be easily mashed with a potato masher. About 1-2 minutes, that’s it!

Remove from heat after mashing berries. Add chia seeds and stir well. Then add stevia to taste.

I like adding the mixture to a blender or food processor for best texture, but this is optional.

Add mixture to a wide-mouth glass mason jar with lid and place it in the refrigerator so it can thicken. The jam will keep for about 5-7 days in the refrigerator in a mason jar or air-tight glass container.

Cookies: Using an electric mixer or food processor; beat the egg, vanilla, salt and xylitol. After these ingredients are well incorporated add the almond butter and SunButter and mix well.

Form balls, about an inch, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. (I like using an OXO 2 teaspoon cookie scoop) With your thumb or an oiled ¼ teaspoon measuring spoon make an indention into the top of each cookie. Make the indention deep enough, but making sure not to go through the cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. This is the most important part – take the cookies out of the oven and place the cookie sheet on a cooling rack. DO NOT touch the cookie. They will fall apart. Let them cool completely.

Drop ¼ teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Transfer to an airtight container between parchment paper. Store in the refrigerator. This makes them more chewy. These will keep for about a week. You can also make a double batch and freeze them, so you always have a sweet treat on hand.

Quick notes
Jam: If you don’t want to make the jam you can buy Nature’s Hollow Sugar Free Strawberry Preserves that is sweetened with xylitol.

Fresh or frozen berries work great. If using fresh you will need about 2 pints of berries.

I did not like the consistency of using ground chia seeds. I recommend whole chia seeds.

Mix the leftover jam with plain yogurt for a fruit-on-bottom style yogurt. A quick and delicious snack.

Cookies: Sometimes I drain the oil off the top of my almond butter rather than mixing it in if I find the cookies turn out oily. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t, usually they are fine without draining the oil.

Overuse of xylitol can cause gas and bloating. Don’t eat too many at once if you are sensitive.

Variations

Any berry works – raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.

If you can’t find or don’t want to use organic SunButter, use 1 cup almond butter. Makes a delicious cookie, with a milder taste.