Monday, March 9, 2015

Sunbutter and Jelly Cookie Bars


Even though I grew up with a severe tree nut allergy, that didn't mean that I couldn't enjoy peanuts.  And I did enjoy peanuts!  Perhaps not as much as my husband, but I routinely enjoyed lots of peanut products.

Back in the days when hubby and I ate peanuts without a second thought, my mom gave us a recipe for peanut butter and jelly cookies.  I haven't made it in years, of course--I'm not about to make peanut protein airborne in our house.  I pulled the recipe out a little while back though, with the intention of converting it to Sunbutter.

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This proved to be more difficult than I'd anticipated.  I'd forgotten, but the original recipe relied heavily on prepackaged cookie doughs and frostings--things I've been leaning away from even when they are allergy safe.  I'm a bit of a cookie snob, even before I had to bake egg-free, so scratch cookies are the way to go!

It took some experimenting and learning from mistakes, but I finally figured out a great combination that mimics the original cookie but with an allergy-safe twist!

Sunbutter and Jelly Cookie Bars

Cookie Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup creamy Sunbutter
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I use canola)
  • 2 Tbsp ground flax
  • 3/8 cup (or 6 Tbsp) water
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder (corn-free variety, if needed)
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions
In a small bowl, mix the ground flax with 3/8 cup (6 Tbsp) water.  Allow to sit for a few minutes.  (If you aren't egg-free, this is to mimic 2 eggs.)

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix sugars, sunbutter, butter, remaining 1 Tbsp water, vegetable oil, and flax mixture.

Gradually add the dry ingredients.

Grease or spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Press the dough into the the pan, being sure to spread it evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until the edges are light brown.

Cool completely.





Topping Ingredients

  • One batch (roughly 1 lb) of your favorite allergy-friendly frosting.  I used a 3/4 batch of my Cream Cheese frosting.  You can even use a can of store-bought frosting if you like.
  • 1/4 cup creamy Sunbuter
  • 1 Tbsp milk *optional*   If you're using a store-bought frosting or your homemade batch is particularly stiff, add 1 Tbsp milk to offset the thickness of the Sunbutter*
  • 1/4 cup strawberry jam

Directions

In a bowl, stir frosting, *milk*, and Sunbutter until well blended.

Spread over cooled cookie base.

Place jam in a bowl and stir to break up lumps.  Drop by spoonfuls over frosting.

Swirl jam for a marbled design with the tip of a knife.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until frosting is set.

Enjoy!  We sure did!




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1 comment:

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