I owe you two apologies already.
1. I didn't taking any “during” shots of making these cookies. Because a) I couldn't concentrate that hard as I frantically trying to squeeze these in between a million other activities and b) I didn't know until I tasted them if they would be good (ie: worth sharing).
2. I owe you a second apology because this is the very best photograph I could come up with, after they finished baking:
Now, I realize that these cookies will not be winning any beauty pageants. And to fellow photographers out there, I ask, how the heck do you take pictures of a dark brown cookie without making it look like a pile of cow poo?
See what I mean? It looks exactly like a cowpie.
I thought about putting it on a nice fancy floral napkin, but obviously, I have nothing that fancy around here.
I tried placing it solo on a plate to show off it's color. This made it even more cow-pie-esck.
I tried putting piling them so they look like a luscious mountain of cocoa. Instead, they looked like a luscious mountain of manure.
Then I tried to line them up. So they looked fancy. But they looked like lined up dung piles.
Please, people, I beg, I plead with you to make these cookies. While they may not WOW you with their aesthetic beauty, I've truly never had a cookie quite like this. And I know y'all need some more recipes for your sourdough starter! Please note, these cookies are not sour at all.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Sourdough Cookies
You will need:
– 1 cup sourdough starter
– 1 cup peanut butter
– 1/2 cup honey
– 1/4 cup sugar (add a wee extra if you want a sweeter cookie)
– 2 eggs
– 2 cups whole wheat flour
Step One: Mix these ingredients together. Mix 'em, mix 'em. Then, let them sit for six hours. This is where you get the goodness from the sourdough breaking down the flour!
Step Two: After the souring time, add:
– 1 teaspoon vanilla
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
Mix these ingredients well into the dough.
Step Three: Drop by the spoonful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. These cookies don't have any oil or butter, so they won't really spread when cooked. Sprinkle them with a little extra sugar if you like your cookies sweet. Yum. Sprinkled sugar.
Step Four: Baking in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
These cookies are truly like none I've ever had. They are like cocoa peanut butter clouds. So fluffy, so light, so delicious. They aren't super sweet or rich, more like a wee little chocolate cake nugget.
I even tried to photograph them with my bread to capture their un-beauty. Please ignore the fact that my loaf of bread has a slice missing from the back. I was desperately hungry.
All cow-pie images (and/or taste association with that word) aside, please make these delicious cookies. Not only do they have the benefit of sourdough, but frankly, their gooooooood.
So I'm going to go eat one now.
Make that two.
With a London Fog that I'm going to make Stuart make me.
“Stuart, go make me a London Fog!”
He said no.
At least I still have the cookies.
For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Sourdough Cookies
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup sugar ((add a wee extra if you want a sweeter cookie))
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
Mix these ingredients together. Mix 'em, mix 'em. Then, let them sit for six hours. This is where you get the goodness from the sourdough breaking down the flour!
After the souring time, add: – 1 teaspoon vanilla – 1 teaspoon baking soda – 4 tablespoons cocoa powderMix these ingredients well into the dough.
Drop by the spoonful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. These cookies don't have any oil or butter, so they won't really spread when cooked. Sprinkle them with a little extra sugar if you like your cookies sweet. Yum. Sprinkled sugar.
Baking in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
Ah yes, the ol’ my-cookies-look-like-cowpies dilemma… Definitely been there before! But I totally don’t care because I am SO making these! I just happen to have a batch of homemade peanut butter sitting around, and I’m always needing extra recipes to help use up my ever growing sourdough starter! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe with the Homestead Barn HOp!
hahaha I was laughing out lout at the cow-poo comments! Hilarious! And I wish I wasn’t on my elimination diet so I could eat these! Although I’m considering doing a sour dough starter right now so that when I’m done I can make some sour dough bread. YUM!
YUUUUUM these sound delish! I’ve never heard of sourdough cookies so I am intrigued. As far as looks go, a pretty platter would help, but I bet if you embellished them with peanut butter chips they would look a little fancier or shmancier (like dung balls with peanut butter chips) or maybe shape them somehow? I am going to try this recipe…thanks for posting it and wish me luck!
True D
Hello! We just came across your recipe for chocolate peanut butter sourdough cookies and thought we would extend an invitation to join our monthly baking group. Sourdough Surprises is a group that focuses on fun and unique ways to use our sourdough starter and this month we are featuring cookies! We would love to have you stop by and link your recipe up! 🙂
If you did not want your cookie to look like a pile of cow poo, you should not use a dish that look like a toilet! Hahaha. I will try your recipe this week end.
I wonder if you could press the dough down prior to baking to give them a flatter cookie / spread-out look. I think I’ll give this a try. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I have laughed so much here right now. You are funny!
My work involves the collection of rhino dung. Really. Rhino dung is more like a round ball without being flattened, though.
I found you blog because I was looking for a nice sourdough cookie that doesn’t use butter. They are rising on the fridge now, cannot wait!
Thanks for the great recipe and lovely post!
I was wondering if you put the dish in the fridge as it sours, or if you leave it on the counter? Please and thank you in advance!! P.S. I love your blog!
Leave it on the counter! 🙂 Enjoy!
Made these cookies twice now and a big hit with my husband & children. Always happy to boost nutrition with sourdough & peanut butter adds protein. Makes these a good snack before bed. Thanks!
Just made these and WOW. I made a peanut butter icing and put on them while warm. Now I have a use for my sourdough when I don’t want to make bread or rolls. They are like mini inside out Reeses cakes.
This is one of the funniest cookie posts I’ve read! Two questions if I may: 1) how much salt did you add if any (I did not see it listed) and 2) what kind of peanut butter did you use, natural or the “Skippy” style? Thank you for this recipe and hilarious post.
Newbie here…can I use sourdough starter right out of fridge or do I bring it to room temp?
Made these tonight. I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, but these were truly awful. After the 6 hour autolyse, the dough was the consistency of neoprene and, in fact, I burned out the motor on my hand mixer trying to add the vanilla, baking soda and cocoa. The finished “cookies” tasted just about like they look. They went directly from the oven to the compost bin. So, I wasted my time and ingredients and destroyed a small appliance for these little compostables that, because of the chocolate, I can’t even offer to the dog. The blog post was funny. The cookies were terrible.
A couple questions! Could I use sourdough discard instead of peak active starter? And possible to leave out the cocoa powder all together?
Thanks!