Excerpted from BAKERITA © 2020 by Rachel Conners. Photography © 2020 by Rachel Conners.

Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED PEANUT BUTTER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

GRAIN-FREE • VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE • DAIRY-FREE

Prep time: 20 minutes

Chill time: 40 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 15 cookies

When I was a first grader, my friends and I joined the Girl Scout troop at my school. Being a sweet-
toothed kid, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on those cookies. As many as I sold to others, I asked my
parents to match and buy us a bunch of my favorites to store in the freezer to have all year round. Being
the chocolate–peanut butter addict that I was (and still am), I always wanted the chocolate-covered
peanut butter shortbread cookies. Luckily, I am able to re-create my favorite cookie, keeping it gluten-
free, grain-free, and vegan. It satisfies those crunchy, peanut butter-y cravings I have. If you want, you
can scrape the peanut butter off the top of the cookie with your teeth, the way I always did as a kid.

FOR THE COOKIES

1 cup (96g) blanched almond flour
¼ cup (32g) arrowroot starch
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons (63g) pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, melted
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt (skip if the peanut butter is salted, or add to taste)

FOR THE CHOCOLATE DIP

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or in chips (about ½ cup)
2 teaspoons softened coconut oil or cacao butter
Flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional)

LINE a baking sheet with parchment paper.

FOR THE COOKIES: In a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk
together the almond flour, arrowroot starch, and salt. Add the maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla and
mix until combined.

SHAPE about 2 teaspoons of the dough into a flattened round, about 2 inches across and ¼ inch thick,
and set on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to make about 15 cookies. Refrigerate for
at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.

WHEN you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F.

Excerpted from BAKERITA © 2020 by Rachel Conners. Photography © 2020 by Rachel Conners.
Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

BAKE the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. The longer you bake them,
the crispier they’ll be, so watch them carefully. If you like crispy cookies, make sure they don’t overbake.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet.

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING: In a mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, maple syrup,
coconut flour, and salt, if using. Scoop out a 2-teaspoon-sized ball of this mixture and press it gently into
the center of a cooled cookie. Leave a narrow rim around the cookie’s edges. Flatten the filling on top of
the cookie using your fingertips. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE COATING: Once the cookies are fully cooled and have the peanut butter on top,
combine the chocolate and coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute and
then stir the mixture. The chocolate will be soft but not fluid. It should become smooth as you stir it—
but if not, microwave for another 30 seconds and stir again until smooth, fluid, and satiny.

DIP the top of a cookie into the chocolate, covering the peanut butter. Let the excess chocolate drip off
and then return the cookie to the parchment-lined baking sheet, chocolate side up. Repeat until all the
cookies are coated. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.

REFRIGERATE the cookies for at least 10 minutes to firm up the chocolate and then serve.

STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.