2011-01-16

Sunblossom Cookies


I originally shared this recipe as a Sunday Sweets feature at the awesome site Go Dairy Free, but these cookies are just too good not to post here, too!  I promise you will never miss peanut butter cookies after trying the Sunbutter and banana combo.  The addition of the banana and reduction of the fat, make them less greasy and more soft and chewy than the classic criss-cross, and the ones with the chocolate chips are just amazing.

One note, occasionally the Sunbutter causes a greenish tint on the inside of baked goods.  The lemon juice should prevent it, but if you do see it, the cookies are just fine!

Sunblossom Cookies
(Click here for printable recipe.)

Wet Ingredients:
½ C sunflower seed spread (i.e. Sunbutter)
¼ C dairy free margarine
½  C granulated sugar
½  C brown sugar
1 perfectly ripe banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp lemon juice

Dry Ingredients:
1 ½ C AP flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Additional:
Granulated sugar to roll dough

Optional:
½ C allergen free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Cream margarine, sunflower seed spread and sugars together until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.  Add banana, vanilla extract and lemon juice and continue beating until completely incorporated and no chunks of banana remain.

Sift or whisk dry ingredients together.  With mixer on slow, gradually add to the wet ingredients.  If using chocolate chips, stir in by hand after flour is incorporated.  Drop dough by tablespoonfuls (about 2) into granulated sugar.  Gently roll into sugar covered balls and place onto cookie sheets.  Press down twice with a fork to make a crisscross pattern.  (If using chocolate chips, omit crisscross with fork.)  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned.  Allow cookies to remain on tray for ten minutes to firm up, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Makes approximately 2 ½ to 3 dozen cookies.

6 comments:

Lindsay said...

Libby, I wanted to let you know that I found packaged Sun Cups (an alternative to Reese's). You had left a comment on my blog in December about missing them, so I thought I'd give you a head's up. They do contain dairy, and I'm not sure if you can eat dairy around your son. But if you can, these taste so similar to Reese's, and they are peanut and tree nut FREE (and processed in a peanut and tree nut free facility). I just posted about them on my blog: www.nutfreelife.blogspot.com

Alisa Fleming said...

Yes, this is definitely one you have to share!!

I still need to try SunButter. I tried grinding sunflower seeds fresh, but the cookies always turn green! And not an appealing green either.

Elizabeth, blogging for SunButter said...

Libby,
Yum, yet again. Alisa, it's the chlorogenic acid (chlorophyll) in sunflower seeds that react with the baking soda/powder when baked causing the green color when the product cools. When substituting SunButter in your existing recipe, you may have to reduce the baking soda/powder by approx. 1/3 to start. A splash of lemon juice also helps. Can't wait to see what you think of SunButter (there is an organic variety...).

Libby said...

Lindsay, you are too sweet to think of me! My kid IS allergic to milk, but Mommy's top secret candy stash has some milk chocolate in it, even if there's no peanuts. It might be time to restock.... (Shhh!)

Alisa! I've already reduced the leavening, but since you don't have an egg allergy, you could *probably* toss one in and leave out the baking soda and margarine. I've found that the longer the cookies bake, the less likely they are to go pistachio on the inside. 'Course I like 'em chewy, so I take the risk!

Elizabeth, thanks for stopping by and clearing everything up! Nice to see you again!

elana said...

my son is allergic to dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and sesame. but not eggs (anymore!), which is nice.

last night i made sunbutter cookies from the sunbutter website and they were pretty terrible. really dry, not very sunbuttery-tasting.

i'd love to try these, but is it possible to make it with egg?

Libby said...

Hi elana, I know what you mean about dry & crumbly cookies! It took a couple of tries with this recipe to get them as moist and chewy as I wanted.

Why not try to make these w/out egg? If you felt the need, you could reduce the margarine & take out the baking soda & add an egg, but I can't promise the results would be as good!