Vegan Peanut Butter Truffle Blossom Cookies

Every Christmas my Grandma would make tons of cookies and treats of different varieties then gift people tins or plates of them.  She would always make spritz cookies, rosettes, krumkake, divinity, and peanut blossoms.  The peanut blossoms were my favorite.  They were also my Dad's favorite, I think he could have just eaten a whole plate of just those, but I still loved the variety and how pretty the cookies all looked together.  I don't make most of them anymore, mostly because I don't have a spritz maker, or a krumkake iron, or a rosette iron.  But I still make the easiest of them all and my favorite, the peanut blossoms.

I have veganized them, and make them a little bit more suited to my grown up tastes however. For the base, I have traded in the Skippy and Jif we used to make them with for my home made peanut butter that just contains peanuts and a little bit of sea salt.  I always have it on hand because I am obsessed with peanut butter, and I love making my own.  Honestly I go through a jar a week.  If you would like to make your own too, just blend up 3-4 cups dry roasted peanuts in a high speed blender, pressing the nuts down into the blade with the tamper until they become butter (or alternatively you can use a food processor, it just won't get as smooth, will take longer and you will have to stop it a few times to scrape it down).

I used maple sugar for the sweetener in the cookies, but you could also use coconut sugar or (or a mixture of half granulated half brown sugar if you prefer that).  I just like that the maple sugar gives the cookies a slight maple flavor!  For the flour I used organic whole wheat pastry because that is what I had on hand and prefer, but if you wanted to make these gluten free, you could swap it for Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose baking flour 1:1.  I have used it before and know it works well.

Lastly, once the cookies were all baked and delicious, instead of pressing in a Hershey's Kiss like the traditional ones (since they are not vegan and I prefer more real chocolate), I pressed a hole into the center and made my own peanut butter chocolate truffle filling!  Trust me it is sooo much more delicious!  They are amazing! If you are a fan of peanut blossoms (or just chocolate and PB in general), definitely give these Vegan Truffle Blossom Cookies a try!

Vegan Peanut Butter Truffle Blossom Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 1 cup brown sugar, maple sugar or coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water (allowed to sit 15 minutes before using)
• 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Filling:

• 3/4 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup cup plus 2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter (you want PB that is not too thick, just smooth and spreadable, the kind with just peanuts and salt).

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet 2 pans with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, coconut oil, and flax seed mixture until smooth.
3. Add the flour, soda and powder and mix until well combined and uniform in color. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, and place on the prepared cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
4. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for about 13 minutes or until lightly brown and set.
5. Remove from the oven and press the round handle end of a whisk or wooden spoon (or something similar in size) lightly into the center of each of the cookies right away to make an indentation in each one (where you will put the truffle filling).  Let the cookies cool completely.
6. To make the truffle filling, in the top of a double boiler melt the chocolate until smooth then add the peanut butter and whisk until well combined.  Place in a pastry bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off), and pipe into the center of each cookie.
7. Place in the freezer until set, about 20 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

Cookies keep for about 1 week in an airtight container on the counter or 3 weeks refrigerated, or 4 months in the freezer.

*If you would prefer to make these gluten free, swap the organic whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (I have tried this brand and know it works well).