Have your peanut butter and eat it too ~ Recipe:

Leave it to Mom. My mom, a self professed peanut butter addict knew too much of a good thing is well… not a good thing (I think all mothers have a sixth sense about that one!). Even with her slender figure and tiny frame, she worried that her practically everyday peanut butter habit was adding far too much fat to her diet. Although not saturated, the fat from peanut butter ends up being in double digit grams, so she knew she had to find an alternative.

Several years ago she discovered a product called Better’N Peanut Butter, a much lower in fat and sodium real peanut butter spread. With only 2 grams of fat per 2 tablespoons versus the 16 grams in full fat peanut butter, she could happily and with less guilt enjoy her daily peanut butter fix once more.

Then, very recently I discovered that the same product comes in a Chocolate Better’N Peanut Butter version and put it to the test for a decadent chocolate peanut butter cookie. I don’t know who’s hand will be in the cookie jar more–hers or mine!

Chocolate Better’N Peanut Butter is available on your grocer’s shelf or at betternpeanutbutter.com

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
5 Tbsp butter ***
1/3 cup Chocolate BetterN’Peanut Butter spread
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla (Mexican or Madagascar)
1 egg
3 Tbsp water
1 3/4 cup unbleached (preferably organic) all purpose flour***
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.***

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars with the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add in the vanilla, egg and water and mix well.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.

4. Shape the batter into 1 inch balls and place on the prepared pans , leaving 2 inches between the cookies. Using a fork that has been dipped in water, flatten the cookies. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes just until cookies are set. 

5. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 2 minutes. Remove the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Makes 30.

All photographs courtesy of Olga Berman of Mango & Tomato

***And now a few words from Olga: A few helpful hints: 1) Have your butter at room temperature 2) You might need more flour 3) I would recommend you use parchment paper: my cookies got slightly stuck to the cookie sheet. Also, I was afraid the cookies will be overly sweet, but they had a perfect amount of sugar, especially when eaten with a cold glass of milk. Two of my friends who received these cookies really enjoyed them.