Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Pete A (so designated to distinguish him from Pete D, Pete V, Pete L and my Pete) is “allergic” to wheat.  At least that’s how Small Man describes it – what he actually has is coeliacs disease, which means his body can’t process gluten in any form. I’ve made it my quest to find him gluten-free treats which pass muster, with a particular focus on those that will satisfy his chocoholic tendencies (Pete is the proud and occasionally indulgent sire of the Boy Wonder, should anyone wish to join the dots).

Over the last few years, I’ve tried everything from tricky recipes which were no more than cream, butter and chocolate, held together by happy thoughts and fairy dust, to dead simple ones which are almost foolproof.  This is definitely one of the latter!

Edit: I’ve just realised that if you choose your chocolate chips carefully (read the label – most dark chocolate doesn’t contain any dairy), this recipe can be lactose-free as well as gluten-free.

Flourless Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

(based on a recipe from Bon Appetit, September 1999)

• 1 cup chunky unsalted peanut butter (note: if you’re in Australia, the best one I’ve found is the Sanitarium 100% Natural Chunky Peanut Butter – give it a good stir before you start)
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup of dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 175C (350F) or 160C (320F) with fan and line a large baking tray with parchment paper (Bake).  I have a 90cm oven – if yours is smaller, you might need two baking trays.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, egg, bicarb soda (sifted) and vanilla extract, and stir well to combine.  Mix in the chocolate chips. (You don’t need a mixer for any of this – just stir it all together with a large spoon).

3. Using a small greased icecream scoop, or a tablespoon, place generous balls of dough onto the baking tray(s), leaving a gap of about 5cm (2″) between each.

4. Bake the cookies until they puff up but are still soft to touch in the centre, about 10 – 12 minutes.  These cookies over-cook very easily, so watch them carefully and pull them out as soon as they’re golden brown (in my oven, that’s about 11 minutes).  I rotate them once during the baking time.  Don’t be put off by the fact they’re still soft when you pull them out, as they’ll harden as they cool.  Once the colour is right, they need to come straight out of the oven.

5. Allow to cool on tray(s) for five minutes, then transfer to racks and allow to cool completely.  If you’ve made these correctly, they’ll have a nice, loose crumb with melting chunks of chocolate sandwiched within them!