Cinco de Mayo Spicy Peanut Butter Cookies

Cinco de Mayo Spicy Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 18 cookies

Ingredients:

*1 and 3/4 cup All-purpose Flour (If using Store bought Peanut Butter use 1 and 1/3 cup)

*1 and 1/4 teaspoons Sea Salt

*3/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

*1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

*1/2 cup Butter Flavored Shortening or Butter, room temperature (shortening will be a softer cookie)

*1/4 cup granulated Sugar

*1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed

*1/2 cup Homemade Peanut Butter, recipe follows (You will need 1 cup unsalted peanuts, Honey and extra light olive oil)

*1 large Egg

*1 Egg Yolk

*2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*3/4 cup Roughly Chopped unsalted Roasted Peanuts

Supplies:

1/2 Baking Sheet

Silpat or other baking Mat or Parchment Paper

Food Processor

Fork

Sugar Sprinkles: Red, Yellow, Blue, Light Blue, Light Green, Dark Green, Hot Pink, Orange and White or Granulated Sugar as desired.

How to make Homemade Peanut Butter:

In a small frying pan on. Medium-low heat, add 1 cup unsalted peanuts, roast peanuts for 2 minutes or until they start to smell and get a few dark spots, stirring as needed. Remove from heat and add to food processor, pulse until they start to become creamy, add 2 teaspoons honey, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and add olive oil 1 tablespoon, then add more as needed, a teaspoons at a time until a creamy consistency.

Directions:

In a mixing bowl Sift or whisk together the dry ingredients: Flour, salt, Cayenne Pepper and Baking Soda. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add the shortening or butter and sugar and brown sugar together with a wooden spoon until fluffy and light in color. Then add peanut butter, vanilla and eggs, mixing one egg at a time. Stir in chopped Nuts.

Slowly add the flour into the creamed mixture just until combined.

Refrigerate dough 15 to 20 minutes or until chilled.

Scoop cookies (3 Tablespoons or #24 scoop, 6 cookies per baking sheet) on Silpat covered 1/2 baking sheet. Then using a fork make the lines on the cookies by pressing fork tongs into the cookie all in one direction or criss-cross as desired and sprinkle with colorful sugar sprinkles or granulated sugar as desired. Bake cookies in a pre-heated 350*F. oven. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or lightly golden on the bottom of the cookie. Leave cookies on baking sheet to set before removing to cooling racks.

Store cookies a few days in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to a month, for best flavor.

**Also see Cinco de Mayo Food Ideas