Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookie S'mores
Errrrrkay. Yes. Yas. Yus. ‘Tis the season for toasted marshmallow goodness smothered in creamy chocolate and tucked into the richest peanut butter cookies everrrrrr.
Also. This is the very first s’more typa recipe on the blog. Exciting times.
But allow me to make clear: we’re not dealing with graham cracker crusts, store-bought marshmallows, and squares of melted chocolate here. We’re transacting with homemade flourless peanut butter cookies (before the anxiety kicks in, I assure you they come together in minutes), a homemade marshmallow cream (again, don’t worry, it’s really just a simple meringue) and a homemade chocolate ganache mixture (I’m telling you, it’s really just chocolate and cream and stuff and so quick).
Homemade from start to finish. All gluten-free. S’mores, to the highest level. With a delightful peanut butter twist. Let’s discuss further.
The gluten-free peanut butter cookies:
They have no flour. Which means the peanut butter takes the place of flour in this cookie recipe. And the place of butter. Which also means the peanut butter isn’t masked by heavy additions and is thus able to provide our cookies here with the richest peanut butter flavor.
Basically, if you’re after the most peanut buttery cookie ever, these are it.
Also. These flourless peanut butter cookies are so soft, so tender, so gooey with slightly crispy edges, and so rich and dense.
And. They contain only seven ingredients total and are stirred together quickly in one bowl (but with much use of both your biceps and triceps).
Okay. Step one of our gluten-free peanut butter cookie s’mores, covered.
The marshmallow cream, as mentioned, is essentially just a meringue batter. As in: egg whites, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Whipped up into stiff, glossy peaks.
Yielding airy, light, fluffy, pillowy, sweet meringue goodness. Or marshmallow goodness. They are now synonyms, meringue and marshmallow, for our intents and purposes here.
The meringue/marshmallow cream gets dolloped onto the bottom of one of the soft, rich, gluten-free peanut butter cookies. Another cookie gets spooned with the chocolate ganache. And the cookies are then sandwiched together.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Let’s backtrack to the chocolate ganache.
Heat some cream. Or milk. Or non-dairy milk. Oh, did I mention? If you use non-dairy milk for the ganache, these peanut butter cookie s’mores will be completely dairy-free.
Anyway.
Place chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate into a bowl. Pour the heated milk over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit and melt. Stir it till smooth. Add in some vanilla extract. Duh. And ganache is done.
The chocolate ganache. It’s deep. It’s dark. It’s bittersweet. If you use bittersweet chocolate, that is. It’s rich. It’s velvety. It’s creamy. And it’s chocolatey, obviously.
Okay. That’s everything then.
Oh wait. One last thing. Consider adding these peanut butter cookie s’mores to your July 4th cookout menu.
Soft and gooey and flourless peanut butter cookies. Fluffy, pillowy, sweet marshmallow filling. Creamy, rich chocolate ganache glaze. One epic gluten-free, dairy-free sandwich cookie.
Gluten-free peanut butter cookie s’mores — you’re a summer dessert sandwich that we should all be throwing our support behind.
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookie S'mores
Yield: about 40 cookies/20 sandwiches
Cookies:
2 cups creamy peanut butter (best if it’s not natural peanut butter)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Marshmallow Cream:
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache:
2/3 cup chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream or whole milk (or non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cookies: In a large bowl (or stand mixer), stir together the peanut butter and sugars until mixture is smooth and no longer grainy. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until mixture is smooth again.
3. Round large tablespoons of dough between your palms and space out onto baking sheets. Flatten the balls with the palm of your hand to around ¼” thickness. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, until just golden. Let the cookies sit on the sheet for about 15 minutes to cool and finish firming before assembling.
4. Marshmallow Cream: Pour the egg whites, sugar, and salt into the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or any heat-safe bowl) and place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, creating a double boiler. Whisk the mixture frequently for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (110 F).
5. Transfer the bowl to your machine fitted with a whip attachment. Whip the mixture for about 6 minutes, starting on a low speed and gradually increasing to the highest speed, until stiff, glossy peaks forms.
6. Chocolate Ganache: Pour chocolate chips/chopped chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the cream/milk in a small pot or in the microwave until the milk just begins to boil. Pour the milk over the chocolate and let mixture sit for two minutes before stirring it until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.
7. Assembly: Drop a spoonful of ganache onto bottom of one cookie. Dollop marshmallow cream on the bottom of another cookie. Sandwich the two cookies. If desired, toast the visible marshmallow with a kitchen torch.
