Flour Power

What kid doesn't love PB&J?

I'd been waiting for the perfect moment to break out the peanut flour I bought a few weeks ago at a conference surrounding the legume. It was the first time I'd seen it, and I couldn't stop thinking about the ways in which I would use it.

When Ryan and I were invited to a barbecue last weekend, I immediately went into planning mode (per usual). Surely, there would be a ton of little ones attending. What could I make that children would love? Then it came to me: peanut butter and jelly cookies.

I adapted a recipe from a peanut flour website. Because it's pastry—and it was the first time using the product—I wanted to make sure my ratios were correct. You see, you can't use peanut flour just like grain flours. Peanut flour is made by grinding roasted peanuts and pressing out the oil. It's still high in protein (around 30 grams per cup!), but relatively low-fat in fat.

The cookies were a hit. The three dozen I made (minus the four Ryan and I ate before the barbecue) were gone in a flash. However, the kids weren't the cookie monsters like I predicted—turns out the adults were the ones sneaking the sweets this time.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (adapted from Nabila Covington via www.proteinplusflour.com)

Yield: about 3 dozen

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark brown)

3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 cup peanut flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped peanuts

4 tablespoons or more of jam or jelly (I used strawberry jam)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in yolks one at a time, then vanilla.

3. In a separate small bowl, lightly beat egg whites and set aside.

4. In another bowl, stir together AP flour, peanut flour and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, blending thoroughly. With your hands, roll dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Dip each ball in the egg whites and then roll in chopped peanuts. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 1 inch apart. With your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each ball; neatly fill with about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon jam.

5. Bake for 12 minutes or until light brown. Cool on baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

My mind continues to contemplate the uses of peanut flour. There's a bag of carrots in the fridge, so I'm thinking peanut-carrot muffins would be a good option. I could also slice up some chicken breasts and dredge them in chili-laced flour for an Indonesian-influenced dinner. Or make both.

Just call me nuts.