Peanut Butter Naan-khatai.....Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies

Hello friends! After an exceptionally long break from blogging, I'm back, with a treat for you all:
PEANUT BUTTER NAAN-KHATAI
Oh yes! you heard read me right dear....

P.E.A.N.U.T B.U.T.T.E.R N.A.A.N.K.H.A.T.A.I

Sounds different?! Yes!! And, believe me...it tastes so rustic and smooth, it's hard keeping your hands off!!


After being buried upto my neck, at work and home since the last one month, all I needed was a cuppa of my fav Earl Grey Tea and some home-baked goodies...to accompany a perfectly relaxing and peaceful afternoon......seriously girls! I was literally shoveling my way through life, I deserved a break!

RELAXING....isn't it!!
And yes, these peanut butter goodies are special...why?? Well! these are made with homemade peanut butter...my first attempt at making any type of butter at home, from scratch (step by step pictorial coming up soon!! Stay tuned..)
Baking is always therapeutic for me, however I wasn't in the mood for something elaborate. And these were just bang-on....easy to make and bake, melt-in-the-mouth textured, with a peanut butter flavor that was wholesome yet not overpowering. I could taste the peanut, as well as the nutmeg. I love this kind of flavor balance, where you can actually taste every ingredient, and yet, one flavor sticks out...but it doesn't mask its "colleagues"...;)....getting what I mean?...no?! Then try these cookies, you'll know what I mean...

 

I made two variants from the same dough; one was rolled in toasted sesame seeds and the other was dotted with chocolate chips. Now, which one do you want?? I had a very hard time deciding...so I just nibbled off both....(lols!).

Here goes the recipe:

YIELDS: 2 dozen regular sized cookies

WHAT YOU NEED:

 

2/3 cup Clarified Butter/ Ghee
1 cup Whole wheat flour
1 cup All purpose flour
1/3 cup creamy Peanut Butter
1 scant teaspoon Nutmeg powder (or, cinnamon, whatever you prefer)
1 cup+2 Tbsp Castor sugar
1/2 cup toasted Sesame seeds
1/4 cup chocolate chips 

NOTE: Peanut butter has a flavor of its own and I wanted it reflected in my naan-khatai, hence I have refrained from using any flavoring essence.

WHAT YOU DO:

Pre-heat your oven to 200 Celsius/ 400 Fahrenheit 
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sieve together wheat flour, all-purpose flour and nutmeg powder 3-4 times.
In a bowl, cream together ghee and sugar till light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and whisk to fully combine.
TIP: I creamed ghee and sugar first so that the dough gets completely aerated and the cookies turn out light and fluff. If you add all three together (peanut butter, ghee and sugar) and then whisk, it won't be light and fluffy, resulting in dense cookies.
Now add the flour mix to the creamed butter mixture and give it a final whirl of 1 minute.
Keep your hand mixer aside, as you'll have to use your hands to make the dough come together. It'll be very soft and crumbly, but don't worry, keep clutching and pressing the dough together, using firm hands, and it'll form into a ball. Please note, the dough will not be like regular cookie dough which can be rolled or kneaded. The consistency of the dough will be like the laddoo dough, crumbly but smooth and soft. If it isn't coming together, you can add more ghee Tablespoon by Tablespoon.
Lightly grease your hands, pinch small blobs from the dough and roll it in between your palms lightly, to form small balls. Alternatively, you can use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the dough and release it onto your baking tray, just make sure to pack the scoop very firmly.

FOR PEANUT-BUTTER AND SESAME NAAN-KHATAI:
Roll the small ball in the sesame seeds, so that it gets fully covered.
Place on the baking sheet, 1" apart, and lightly press it to form flat discs.

FOR CHOCOLATE CHIPS PEANUT BUTTER NAAN-KHATAI:
Place the small balls on the baking sheet, 1" apart, and pat it lightly to form flat discs. Using the tines of a fork, make a criss-cross on top. Dot with chocolate chips.
 
Place your baking sheet into the oven and bake them at 200 C for 8-10 mins. Take your baking sheet out and let the cookies cool on the pan itself for 2 mins.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Munch on...!!!