Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I really try not to go to parties empty-handed. Depending on the party, I'll bring different things, but I really like to bring baked goods -- people always appreciate it and it gives me an excuse to bake! This weekend I went to a co-workers belated birthday party and brought along these peanut butter cookies. I left some plain, and decorated others with chocolate. These cookies are great on so many levels: only 4 ingredients, they contain peanut butter, if you run out of flour you can still bake, and they're essentially fool-proof.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Beat peanut butter and sugar until smooth and combined
3. In a small bowl lightly beat the egg and then beat into peanut butter mixture along with the baking soda
4. Arrange teaspoon-sized drops of cookie dough about 1" apart on a cookie sheet (I used a Silpat). With the tines of a fork, slightly flatten the cookie dough drops to ensure even baking.
5. Bake about 10 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy. Allow the cookies to sit on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes after being removed from the oven. Transfer onto a cooling rack.

Chocolate for Dipping

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening

1. Over a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate and shortening together (or you can do this in a microwave).
2. Stir frequently, making sure the chocolate on the bottom of the pan does not burn.
3. Once the chocolate reaches your desired consistency, fill a ziploc bag, cut one of the bottom corners, and drizzle on the cookies!

Next up: Snickerdoodles & Chocodoodles (!!)