I had just made some really yummy peanut butter cookies for my gentleman friend, where I substituted puréed sunflower and walnuts for the butter (mainly because that’s what I had) and they were incredibly good…
…but they weren’t quite enough, so I started puzzling over what else I could add to them, which John loved to eat, to make them special.
My first thoughts turned towards bananas, but then I realized that I needed some flavor and texture contrasts to this sweet and soft cookie. Chopped nuts as a topping and chopped cooked hickory-smoked bacon took these completely over the top.
But…I wasn’t done yet. I decided to use the banana as a filling for cookie sandwiches, enhanced with peanut butter powder, and to cover the sandwich halfway with chocolate and the chopped nuts. I admit, chia seeds entered the picture only because the banana-PB powder mixture seemed too loose to stay in a cookie sandwich, but they also add a little texture and nutrients. In fact, the banana-chia-peanut butter powder combination make a yummy pudding too!
The best part is its versatility! Homemade cookies or favorite box mix or even store-bought. Any type of chocolate. Any chopped nuts, and for that matter any type of nut butter. Bacon is optional…but it’s incredibly good here, and there are so many options nowadays–including Vegan–that this cookie can suit anyone’s needs.
I hope you try this and enjoy it as much as John has…and let me know how you make yours!
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Chocolate-Dipped Triple PB-Bacon Cookies with PB Banana Chia Filling
Copyright 2016 by Lauren Bradford (The Food Puzzler)
~~Ingredients~~
*Cookies If Making*
– 1 cup peanut butter
– 1/2 cup peanut butter powder
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 1 large banana
– 1 egg
(or the dry ingredients from a favorite peanut butter cookie recipe plus the banana and egg, or your favorite store-bought)
*Sandwich*
– 1 large banana
– 2 tablespoons chia seeds
– 1 12-ounce bag chocolate chips of choice
-4 strips bacon of choice, cooked near crispy with excess fat blotted away, chopped small
– 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
Steps
1. Mash or purée the banana in a food processor (both if making the cookies and sandwiches, then divide between two bowls).
2. In one bowl, mix 1/2 the peanut butter powder, chia seeds and, if using pre-made cookies, chopped bacon*. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to an hour.
3. In the other bowl, if making your own cookies, add in the egg and combine completely. Then, add in the peanut butter, other 1/2 cup peanut butter powder, and baking powder.ncover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line sheet pans with parchment paper.
5. Using large spoons, divide the dough into 12 evenly-sized cookies, ensuring at least 2 inches separation from each other.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, checking after 10.
7. Cool the cookies completely, if baked, and once the filling is thick enough, lay 6 of the cookies with flat-side up on a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan.
8. Spread the filling between the six cookies, then top with the other six.
9. Transfer, uncovered, into the freezer for about 30 minutes.
10. Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and melt by warming it 30 seconds at a time and stirring after every 30 seconds.
11. Take the sandwiches out of the freezer. Take each sandwich and, using a spoon, carefully drape half of the sandwich with the chocolate. Place it back on the parchment-lined pan and sprinkle the top with some of the chopped nuts.
9. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. If you have any remaining chocolate, feel free to drizzle it over the cookies, then return the pan to the freezer for another 30 minutes.
10. Once frozen, wrap each sandwich in wax paper or parchment.
NOTE: each sandwich needs at least 15-20 minutes out of the freezer to soften for eating, but stand fine if left out for upwards of an hour or two if serving them to a group.
The Food Puzzler © 