It’s that time of year… cookie season! Usually I have enough self control to not indulge too much during this time of excess food and drink. Except for the occasional cheese platter. Never met a cheese platter I didn’t like. Mostly because I prefer savory over sweet. UNLESS I am pregnant. Which I am. So savory is out (kind of) and sweet is in (in full force!). This time around I could eat a baked good every single day. Specifically cookies. I don’t know what it is but a chocolate chip cookie sounds good at all times. Maybe it’s because I am carrying a girl this time around but man the sugar craving has been very hard to tame. So when cookie season hit this time, I was ready! I am trying not to have more than one option around the house at any given time but even then… how many sweets in one day is too much? I am asking because I truly have never had this sensation before! I sure hope it goes away postpartum. I have a feeling bouncing back the second time in a year will be tougher than the first time around. Just as this pregnancy has been tougher than the first time. 

But as I embrace the third trimester and reflect back on the year I’ve had I can’t help but marvel at how much has changed… and how much has not changed. What changed? I know have a 1 year old! We thrived through the early days of breastfeeding, sleep schedules, and first time parenthood. We survived through the waves of sleep regressions, teething, and chickenpox. And I powered through one of the most physically and emotionally demanding times of my life embracing the fact that I got pregnant 6 months postpartum and are now about to have a second. What hasn’t changed? I am still large and in charge ha!

All that to say, despite my urge to workout and stave off as much weight gain as possible, I am giving myself the grace to enjoy the little things… meaning cookies! Often. And these don’t disappoint. 

I think everyone has their own version of these cookies. How they became a classic, I don’t know. But they are delightfully easy to make and so snackable. The problem is not eating 5 in one sitting. 

Since going GF, my mom has made a variety of different versions of this. Some flourless, some with all the gf-baking specialties like xantham gum and multiple types of flour. This has proven to be the simplest version for me. I find the flourless versions not as fluffy as I like my cookies. And yall know I am not good enough of a baker to have special flour blends on hand. So this is the version I like to make. Still simple, still delicious, and still oh so hard to control yourself around!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup GF baking flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup smooth peanut butter

½ cup butter

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 bag chocolate kisses

Serving Size: 36

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• In an electric mixer, beat together softened butter, peanut butter and sugar until fluffy. 
• Add egg and vanilla extract to the mixer and beat together. 
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Gradually add to the mixer and fold in. 
• Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.
• Roll into 1-inch balls and gently roll in additional sugar before lining up on the baking sheet. 
• Bake for 10 minutes. 
• Meanwhile unwrap the chocolate kisses if not already unwrapped.
• When the cookies are ready to take out of the oven, remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes, then gently press 1 chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie. The bottom should melt into the cookie a little bit but not melt entirely. 
• Let cookies cool completely. Enjoy!