The Best Peanut Biscuit I Have Made and Eaten

If you are crazy about something, you might never get bored. That's what I feel about this peanut biscuit. Although I have come to bake any sort of peanut biscuits from time to time, I will always come back to this one, with more appreciation that grows bigger ever since.

I just love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, no matter how unappealing to some of you they are. To me, the combination is meant for each other. The chocolate biscuit with saltiness-if not sweetness-peanut butter filling for each bite, how can I resist?





Introduced first time by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook  through her post some years ago, adapted from King Arthur Flour. I have made it many times since and include the photo on a post here. Just love it.


We've been through thick and thin, but it seems none of us can decide which one is the most favourite. They will always be finished quickly!


Today, I make them gluten-free. So thankful I am not allergic to peanut butter!





Magic In The Middles (Gluten-Free Version)
Source: The Well-Seasoned Cook; King Arthur Flour.


I am adapting the original recipe for gluten-free version and reduce some sweetness from the biscuit dough, and I also use icing sugar instead of caster. I think the slightly sweeten biscuits actually go quite well with saltiness and mild sweetness of the peanut butter filling. My gluten-free version yields 31 biscuits.


Biscuit Dough

1 cup + 1 Tbs rice flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I use Valrhona-superb!!)
1/4 cup potato starch
2 Tbs millet flour
2 Tbs corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup icing sugar + 1 Tbs brown sugar
115g unsalted butter + 15g margarine
50g smooth peanut butter


Extra caster sugar to coat


Sift all the flours with Xanthan Gum, salt, cocoa powder and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside. Beat butter, margarine, sugars and peanut butter until fluffy and pale. Beat in egg, mix well. Fold in sifted flour mix, mix well. The dough should be smooth, not wet and not dry. When you roll them into balls, the dough will feel silky on your palms. Roll 31 balls. Now, this is what I do with the balls: take one ball, make an indentation in the centre and goes from there flatten it a little bit at a time using your forefinger and thumb, as thin or thick as you prefer. Then, put this flatten dough in the centre of your palm, like when you holding an egg on it, fill the peanut butter balls in, then bring the biscuit dough up and around the peanut butter balls until you don't see any sign of it. Roll this filled ball in your palm to make it smoother, roll into a bowl of caster sugar to coat, and put it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Or you may grease your baking tray with a little butter or margarine. Flatten the dough as to your liking. I would sprinkle some more caster sugar on top, just to add more crunchiness. Repeat this until all your dough and peanut butter filling all use up. 


Bake at 175C (my oven), for 8-10 minutes or until the biscuits feel firm when touched with the tip of your finger. Remove from the oven, leave it on the tray for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or you may gobble down if you wish. Eat it warm is a bit dangerous, though as the peanut butter tends to be hot inside.


Filling
195g smooth peanut butter + 1 Tbs
85g icing sugar, sifted
a drop of caramel essence
a pinch of salt


Mix the peanut butter, icing sugar, salt and essence well, and roll into 31 balls.





These biscuits are sooooooooooo good enjoyed with black coffee!