Soft-Baked PB Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
If anyone knows me, I have a "slight" peanut butter addiction. I say slight ever so conservatively because I love peanut butter cookies AND I can eat peanut butter by the jar with a spoon and go through those 750mL jars so fast. My love for peanut butter is too great that I don't think I could marry a guy who has a peanut allergy. If you are reading this and have a secret crush for peanut butter, leave a comment below so I know I am not alone.
A lesson on buying peanut butter:
There are two varieties - there's the emulsified regular peanut butter and then the natural type that only has '100% roasted peanuts' on the ingredients list. The latter is the type you want to buy and while at first, it may taste bland and disgusting because there is no sugar and you are used to the other kind, you develop a taste for this and get nothing but peanut taste in your mouth. You likely won't be able to go back to the other stuff because you will find it too sweet.
The regular peanut butter that is emulsified contains high-fructose corn syrup, other sugars, and a bunch of other ingredients. High fructose corn syrup is not good as it messes up with your blood sugar metabolism and your insulin regulation so in general, you want to try and minimize the amount of high fructose corn syrup you are consuming. Just go for the real stuff - 100% peanuts only.
Storage Tip: when buying the natural peanut butter, oil separation on the top is natural and normal. You can store it upside down in the fridge so that the oil disperses throughout the peanut butter to the bottom for a few hours then take it out and give it a good stir to mix everything up. When storing, store it upside down in the fridge to keep the oil dispersed throughout so the peanut butter stays smooth and doesn't clump up a lot.
Now the Cookies:
Taking a bite into these cookies will make you think there is some sort of flour inside because of the texture but the combination of peanut butter and egg, when cooked together, creates that flour-like texture. While oats do not contain gluten, they can be processed on equipment that was used to process gluten flours so if you have a major gluten food sensitivity or have celiac disease, opt to purchase gluten-free oats to avoid any cross-contamination possibility.
These cookies are nourishing for postpartum mommas and can be supportive for breastfeeding because oats have fibre and can stabilize blood sugar supporting our energy and mood levels. Through helping regulate blood sugar it can regulate cortisol secretion and support the adrenals. Oats also contain B vitamins to support mood and energy. The peanut butter, eggs, and tahini add some healthy fats and protein. Oats and fennel also have compounds that can support breastmilk production. If you are not a fan of fennel, just leave it out. You can also use smooth or crunchy natural peanut butter if you want the additional peanut crunch!
The cookies are soft enough that while mommas are making these for themselves, they can be a good way to introduce peanuts to babies around 4-6 months of age if they don't have signs/symptoms of other allergies OR a peanut allergy and an IgE skin prick doesn't show a reaction to peanuts. If the baby presents with eczema or signs of possible allergies, but no sign or positive testing for a peanut allergy, it is best to introduce peanuts around 6 months of age to reduce the chance of developing a peanut allergy (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, Immunology, 2017). Always remember to speak with your baby's healthcare professional to know when and if peanuts are okay to introduce to your child.
Soft Peanut Butter Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 14 Cookies.
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup rolled oats (use gluten-free oats for true gluten-free goodness)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix the oats and baking soda and set aside.
Mix the peanut butter, tahini, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and crushed fennel seeds.
Add the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined. You can roll these into 1-2” balls. The dough will be sticky. You can always stick it into the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up the dough a little which will make it easier to roll into balls.
Place balls on a cookie sheet and only flatten the top a little bit.
Bake for 11-13 minutes at 350 F. The cookies are ready to take out of the oven when they are brown on the edges. They will be soft but leave them on the cookie sheet out of the oven to cool for 5 minutes (they will finish cooking).
Transfer to a cooling rack and enjoy! Store in an airtight container. You can store them in the fridge for a longer period of time or at room temperature for 3 days. Feel free to warm them in the microwave for 5-8 seconds so they soften up a little more before consuming.
Nutrition Facts (1 cookie): 155kcal | Total Carbs: 12.5g | Fibre 2.1g | Sugar 6.3g | Total fat 10.3g | Cholesterol 23.8mg | Saturated Fat 1.6g | Trans fats 0g | Sodium 68.8mg | potassium 124mg | protein 5.2g | vitamin B3 2g | folate 21ug | Magnesium 32.7mg | Phosphorus 128mg | Iron 7% | choline 29mg | Calcium 5%
REFERENCE:
American Academy for Allergy, Asthma, Immunology. 5 Jan 2017. Newly Issued Clinical Guidelines From the NIAID Recommend Early Peanut Introduction, Not Avoidance. Retrieved on 8 May 2020 from https://www.aaaai.org/about-aaaai/newsroom/news-releases/early-peanut-introduction
