whole wheat peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

Remember that I mentioned that I wanted to use my whole wheat flour to make peanut butter cookies? Well here they are! They were f-a-a-abulous! The extra step of toasting the flour and oats really made a difference. These smelled fantastically nutty after being baked. The cookies are sort of sweet and salty and the peanut butter takes a backseat but it slowly creeps up on you and hits you right in the face. The flavours of the whole wheat flour and oats are more prominent, which is really rare in a peanut butter cookie, methinks.

My only complaint is that the cookies crumble easily. I guess this is because of the lack of egg in the recipe. I only managed to salvage 3 out of my 6 when transferring from the cookie sheet to cooling rack... only to destroy 2 out of 3 remaining intact ones when transferring from rack to container. However, because they were so crumbly, their texture was fantastic! They practically melted in my mouth unlike any cookie I've ever had. Even shortbread.

But you might have to end up eating these with a spoon.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from The Flour Sack
makes 24

I used normal whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour that the original recipe called for. I guess that's why my cookies were so crumbly. But I have no regrets though. 

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup and 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Toast the oats and whole wheat flour in a 350F oven for about 7 minutes until golden and smell nutty. Remove from the oven, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. When cooled, add the baking soda and salt and whisk to combine.

Combine the butter, peanut butter and sugars in a stand mixer and mix on medium speed until combined. Add the cooled flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.

Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick and chill the dough. When completely chilled and firm, half an hour or so, cut out 2 inch rounds and set the cookies on a baking sheet.

Bake in a 350F oven for 10 minutes until golden, rotating halfway through baking time. Let the cookies cool completely. I found that the cookies that got more browned were firmer and did not crumble as easily.