Peanut Butter Rosebud Cookies

Every Christmas since I was a child, my family has been making peanut butter cookies with little chocolate rosebuds on top. They are my uncle Rob's absolute favourites. Naturally, I needed to develop a grain-free version of these treats so that our Christmas traditions could be carried on. Luckily, these cookies turned out beautifully on the first try! They do spread a bit more than their floury counterparts, so you'll want to roll into small balls to account for this. They have the texture of a scrumptious chocolate chip cookie with all the goodness that peanut butter can bring. Enjoy with a glass of almond milk and taste the holiday spirit!

Peanut Butter Rosebud Cookies:

Makes ~40 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup for rolling

• 1/2 cup all-vegetable shortening

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp almond milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• pinch of salt

• 2 cups dark chocolate rosebuds (~40, you'll need 1 per cookie)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Cream together brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, vegetable shortening, and peanut butter.

3. Add in 1 unbeaten egg with milk and vanilla and mix well.

4. Add in flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until combined.

5. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1.5 cm in diameter.

6. Place additional granulated sugar onto a plate. Roll dough balls with sugar and then place onto prepared baking sheets making sure to leave several centimeters between each cookie.

7. Bake cookies for 8 minutes, then remove from oven and push one chocolate rosebud into the centre of each cookie. Return to the oven and bake for another 2-3 minutes until the bottom of the cookies begin to turn golden brown.

8. Cool cookies on a wire rack or on brown paper. Store in an airtight container.