Peanut Butter Cookies (Dairy, Gluten and Refined Sugar Free)

I recently realized I didn't have a standard peanut butter cookie reipce.  I don't care for the texture or taste of the "flourless" recipes, so this is my gluten free version.  If you can handle gluten, I think a nice red fife flour would be a great substitute as well.

Ingredients (makes 18 -20 cookies)

• 1 1/4 cup gluten free pancake mix or other gluten free flour blend
• 1 teaspoon guar gum (omit if your flour blend has already)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (omit if using my pancake mix)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup softened coconut oil
• 1 cup natural peanut butter at room temperature (smooth or chunky)
• 3/4 cup palm, coconut or demerara sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• xylitol (1/2 tablespoon) and a bit of sea salt (1/4 teaspoons) for rolling if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and  prepare cookie trays.
2. In a medium size bowl combine all dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl cream peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, palm sugar, egg and vanilla.
4. Slowly stir in dry ingredients.
5. Roll into tablespoon size amounts.  You can roll into a bit of xylitol and or sea salt if desired.   Flatten balls with fork into a criss cross pattern.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown on top.
7. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes on tray and then allow to finish hardening on a wire wrack.